The Next Generation
by maple the wacky tree
Summary: Daichii was just supposed to be a normal kid. But everything changed when an unlikely intruder resurrected an ancient curse. Takes place 25 years after the anime series ended.
1. The Gift of Morning

_A/N: yay! my third fanfic! i haven't done much writing, but hopefully that will change with summer coming around. this is a DNAngel fanfic (obviously) and it takes place about 25 years into the future. personally, i was a little depressed when the DNAngel anime series ended, so here's an idea for a continuation. it's just a little thing i've had in mind for a while._

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own DNAngel . . . no duh_

* * *

**_The Next Generation_**

**_Chapter 1_**

_The Gift of Morning_

The alarm buzzer went off, and a loud groan escaped from a lump under the covers. An arm fought its way out of the blankets, groped for something heavy, and threw something at his alarm clock to turn it off. A few silent moments went by before suddenly, "OH MY GOSH! I FORGOT!" A young boy with pinkish-red hair, long bangs, and pinkish-brown eyes sat up abruptly. Niwa Daichii threw the covers aside, sending a small, white rabbit with it.

"Kyuuuuu!" it squealed with protest when it hit the floor with a thud.

Daichii winced and peered down from the top of his bunk bed. "Uh, good morning, With," Daichi replied sheepishly.

"Kyu," With said in a daze.

Daichii swung his legs over the edge and jumped down, completely ignoring the ladder. He landed neatly and rushed toward his closet. Because he was being so reckless, he accidentally slipped on some comic books. He fell face first with a grunt. With stared at Daichii. Daichii rubbed his forehead ruefully and sighed, "I guess that's why Mom and Dad keep telling me to clean my room."

Daichii got dressed quickly and dashed out his bedroom. While putting on his backpack, he slid down the stair railing. "Bye, Dad!" Daichi called as his father was going up the stairs.

"Huh?" Daisuke said. "You're up already? You aren't usually this energetic on a school day."

Daichii slid right off the bannister and explained, "I'm supposed to meet up with Ren today."

"Well of course," Rikae, Daichii's seven-year-old sister, responded in the dining room. She took a bite of her pancakes and added, "The only way Daichii would ever want to get up in the morning was if it had something to do with his _girlfriend_."

Daichii's eyes burned angrily. He stormed into the dining room and shouted, "SHE IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"

Daichii's mom, who was also eating breakfast, gave Rikae a warning look. Then Riku asked, "But Daichii, what does Ren want so early in the morning?"

"Ren said she wanted to give me something, but she wouldn't say what." Daichii grinned excitedly. "I hope it's a birthday present."

Narrowing her eyes slyly, Rikae teased, "No, you're hoping it will be a birthday kiss."

"RIKAE!" Daichii growled, grabbing her collar and holding her up.

"Mommy! Daichii's being mean!" Rikae whined.

"Daichii, let Rikae go," Riku ordered.

Daichi scowled and headed for the front door. His hand was on the doorknob when Riku demanded, "Oh no, Daichii! You aren't going to leave without breakfast again, are you?"

"Mom, I'm already late as it is!" Daichii complained.

"No you aren't young man. You've got plenty of time until school starts! You're a growing boy and need nutrition. Do you just not like my cooking? I'll have you know that I'm a lot better than your aunt. If you tried Risa's cooking, you'd never want to eat again, so be grateful."

"You always say that when I skip breakfast," Daiichi muttered under his breath.

Daisuke came back downstairs to see what all the ruckus was. When he saw Daichii halfway out the door, he nodded in understanding. Riku came from the dining room and said, "Daisuke, tell your son that he should sit down with the family and eat breakfast for once."

"Dear, maybe we should let him go just this once. Tomorrow is his birthday after all."

Daichii slowly began walking out. "Yeah, yeah," he agreed. "I promise tomorrow I'll definitely eat breakfast with you guys."

"But you can't leave now," Riku continued. "You haven't even combed your hair or brushed your teeth."

Daichii froze. He touched his messy hair and smiled awkwardly. He could hear Rikae laughing inside. "You see! You see!" Rikae exclaimed in a sing-song voice. "Daichii's so jittery about meeting Ren that he forgot about more important things." Rikae walked past her parents and stuck her tongue at Daichii. "What kind of wierdo forgets about brushing their teeth. I guess you can forget about that birthday kiss, huh?"

"Rikae," Riku scolded. Then she smiled at her son. "You shouldn't tease a boy about his love."

"MOM!!!!!!"

* * *

Daichii slammed the door in their faces. Throwing his skateboard angrily at the ground, he hopped on and sped away from the house, glad to get away from them. "I do not like Ren. I don't like her. We're just friends. Yeah, only friends," Daichii told himself over and over. He past a bunch of black birds. Startled, they squacked and flew away, showering Daichii with a few of their dark feathers. "Ah! Stupid feathers," Daichii muttered, waving them out of his face. When he could finally see again, he was at the fountain park. He stopped and sucked in his breath. 

There was Ren. Her back was to Daichii as she waited patiently by the water. Her light blue hair that reached her waist seemed extra glossy in the morning light. The school uniform showed off her skinny figure. Sensing his presence, Ren turned around. When she saw Daichii, her whole face brightened. Her blue eyes sparkled and her smile was prettier than ever. "Daichii!" Ren waved, holding one arm behind her back.

Daichii hesitated for a moment, blushing slightly. _She's just a friend. She's just a friend. She's just a friend, _Daichii reminded himself as he walked over to her. "H-hey, Ren," Daichii greeted. "What was it you wanted to show me?"

Ren beamed proudly. "I wanted . . . to give you . . . early birthday present," she explained in her usual shy, quiet, and hesitant voice.

She revealed the square gift from behind her back. Daichii took it gratefully and unwrapped it. It was a black photo album with two paintbrushes crossing on the front. Daichii opened it curiously and gasped. Inside were pictures of famous artworks. Daichii gazed in wonder at painting after painting, sculpture after sculpture, sketching after sketching. There were even newspaper clippings that contained interviews with Daichii's favorite artists. "Ren . . ." Daichii breathed. "This . . . this is amazing! It must have taken you forever to find all of these!" Daichii looked at her softly. "Thank you. This means a lot to me."

Ren's eyes twinkled happily. She held out one finger in a "wait a minute. that's not all" gesture. Then she turned the photo album to the very last page. It held a painting Daichii wasn't familiar with. It depicted a night scene at the fountain park. The sky was alight with many shooting stars, and a boy with a white rabbit in his lap was watching them in fascination.

"Ren, is that me?" Daichii asked.

"I . . . painted it," Ren explained.

"Really! It's amazing! The color scheme's great and done with such skill! I never knew you were an artist. This looks like a pro did it!" Daichii complimented.

Ren didn't reply, only tilted her head to one side modestly. Daichii wasn't phased by her lack of talking. Mara Ren was an orphan. Her parents died by a mysterious cause when she was still very young. The Mara family took her in, but the deathes had emotionally scarred Ren. Bit by bit, she tried to forget. She wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep, wouldn't talk to anyone. Ren would lock herself in her room all alone . . . until Daichii came along. Eventually, Daichii helped her open up a little, and they became best friends. Though Ren still has trouble with words and can't remember her parents at all, Daichii learned to talk to her through more than just speaking.

"This really is amazing," Daichii repeated. He narrowed his eyes playfully at her. "Of course, it has a few flaws. In real life, I'm much more handsome." Daichii struck an I'm-too-cool-to-care pose. Ren giggled and pushed Daichii. Daichii staggered backward and felt his leg hit the back of the fountain. Struggling not to fall in, Daichii flung his arms out wildly to regain his balance.

"Much more clumsy," Ren corrected. She giggled again before grabbing Daichii's hand to steady him. Daiichi's cheeks grew hot at her touch, but when he saw her blissful smile, he relaxed. _Rikae's got it all wrong. We really are just friends, _Daichii thought to himself.

Ren tugged Daichii's arm. "Come on . . . slowpoke. You're gonna . . . make us late," Ren said.

Daichii grinned goofily and picked up his skateboard. "Race ya to school!" Daichii exclaimed, already sprinting away. He could hear Ren laughing behind him as she chased after him.

* * *

Breathing hard, Ren jogged slowly to the school gate and panted, "I win." 

Daichii came up right behind her and gasped, "How far did we run?"

"Little . . . less than . . . a mile."

Daichii groaned. "Not the kind of distance you want to sprint to."

While the two were catching their breath, a boy with brown hair and dark eyes pushed Ren aside. Ren stumbled and glared at the boy, deeply insulted. "There you are, Daichii! What took you so long?"

"I was out running, Haru," Daichii explained. Haru was Daichii's best friend, often a little short-tempered and competetive. They both loved sports, and together, Haru and Daichii were probably the most athletic kids in the grade.

Haru shook his head. "Come on, Daichii. Don't you get enough of that after school? What a perfectionist!"

Daichii grinned and replied, "Actually it was kinda just for fun."

Haru raised his eyebrow. "You've got a wierd sense of fun."

"I guess we were a little crazy," Daichii laughed.

"'We'?" Haru echoed before looking around.

"Yeah, me and Re--" Daichii blinked. Ren was gone, nowhere to be seen.

"Huh? You mean Ren? Why?" Haru asked. "Daichii, Ren's pretty, but she's a little weird if you ask me. No. She's weird if you ask anyone. What kind of girl doesn't talk? If it weren't for her looks, she probably would've been the class geek a long time ago."

"Ren happens to be my friend," Daichii replied dryly, clenching his teeth.

"Sorry, man. Sorry. I wasn't trying to insult you or anything. Just forget about it. Hey! I know a bunch of cheerleaders that are just dying to meet Mister Birthday Boy. Come on, before school starts!"

Daichii followed Haru, his eyes lowered. What was so weird about being friends with Ren? What was so weird about Ren? Daichii frowned seriously. Was he really the only one who talked to her?

* * *

_A/N: Alright, for all you anime lovers, I have an idea that might be crazy enough to work. You know how whenever there's a preview for a new episode, it will normally have a few lines of dialogue and video clips to tease you. Well, I feel like being different, so I'm going to try something like it. At the end of every chapter, I'm going to include five lines of dialogue from the next chapter and the chapter's name. This is my first time ever doing it, so it might not turn out well. Tell me if you think it sucks._

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you. You're just so scrawny and quiet."

"What's wrong, Ren? Are you feeling okay?"

"Why are they all too stupid to understand? What do I have to do to show them how I feel? I can't just _tell _them!"

"If you're a theif, you might as well come out right now. I've got a gun!"

"No. NO! This can't be happening! This has to be a dream!!!"

**THE BLACK WINGS ARISEN**


	2. The Black Wings Arisen

**A/N: **_wow. i actually posted another chapter in less than a week. what a miracle. now if only i would actually sit down and write the next chapter in my other fanfic. oh, and forgive the slight randomness of the end of the chapter. i was in need of a little comic relief._

**Disclaimer: **_(aren't these so annoying?) I don't own DNAngel_

* * *

**_The Next Generation_**

**_Chapter 2_**

**The Black Wings Arisen**

Ren made her way past crowds of cheerful friends. Her head was down, and her grip on her bag was tight. _Stupid Haru, _She thought to herself. _Stupid school. Stupid everyone. Why are they all too stupid to understand? _

Someone stepped on her foot. Ren gritted her teeth in pain and looked up. Ai, the most popular girl in school and head of the cheerleader team, was smirking down at her. "Oops! Oh Ren, are you okay?" Ai asked in mock concern. Her followers snickered. Ren glared at them. "I'm sorry. I just didn't see you," Ai continued. "You're so scrawny and quiet all the time."

"Ai!" one of her followers interrupted with an excited squeal. "They're here!"

Ai whirled around with big, hopeful eyes. Ren glanced over as well. Daichii and Haru were talking and laughing as they walked up the stairs. Moving as one, the cheerleaders swarmed over to them, giggling and teasing. Ren flushed hot with anger and embarrassment. Then she turned her head and walked to class alone. _No one. No one knows what I go through. _Ren thought as she saw couples and friends trying to hang out before class. With every step, Ren felt the number of students increase, turning into a sea that was drowning her and pulling her under. _Nobody cares about me. Nobody. _Ren hurried into the classroom. With a sigh, Ren flopped into her desk and rested her head on the desk. She was about to close her eyes when a voice said, "Ren?"

Ren lifted her face and realized Daichii was gazing at her. His eyes betrayed his worry. "What's wrong, Ren? Are you feeling okay?"

Ren stared into his eyes for a moment. Then, looking at her hands, she nodded slowly. _Just going through the usual morning jeers and jerks, _she thought sullenly. She sniffed and rubbed her nose. Daichii frowned and pulled up a chair. Sitting in it backwards, he scanned Ren's face from the other side of her desk.

"Come on, Ren. Are you sure you're alright?" he asked again.

Ren managed a small smile. That's what she liked about Daichii. They had been friends for so long, they didn't always need words to understand each other. Daichii could read her thoughts by her actions, her expressions, her eyes.

"I'm . . . okay . . . now," Ren forced herself to say. Each word seemed to stick in her throat, like a fear pulling you back. It was so hard for her. So hard! Why couldn't people see that?

"Well, okay . . ." Daichii replied reluctantly. He turned and started for a desk next to Haru and Ai when Ren grabbed his wrist.

"Have . . . cleaning duty . . . right?" she asked in barely a whisper.

"Huh? Uh, yeah," Daichii answered. The teacher walked in the room.

"Want . . . to switch?"

"What? I can't let you do that! Especially not after the birthday gift you gave me."

"Students, get in your seats. It's time to start homeroom," the teacher declared. Daichii began to walk away again, but Ren didn't let go.

"I want . . . I'll switch," Ren offered.

"Okay I guess," Daichii agreed reluctantly, but he had no time to argue.

Ren watched him walk away before getting out her books. _After all, Daichii, _Ren thought, _you are my only friend. It's the least I can do. You don't turn fourteen everyday. _Ren tapped her pencil and smiled weakly. _Besides, no one's ever really in the mood to talk during cleaning duty. I'll be safe.

* * *

_

Ren slowly cleaned the blackboard in the art room. Two other boys were cleaning up with her. Ren's stomach churned awkwardly whenever she felt their glances. Would they make fun of her too?

"Hey, Ren! Could you help me move this thing? I need to get the ladder behind it," one of them called.

Silently, Ren put down her rag and nodded. The boy was pointing to a big, heavy mobile. It was covered in dust, and Ren grimaced when she touched it. Nevertheless, the two of them strained and pulled it out of the corner. The boy made a face as he brushed a dust bunny out of his hair. "Jeez! It looks like this thing hasn't been cleaned in centuries, huh Ren?" he joked. Ren only shrugged as she dusted off her hands. The boy's friendly smile faltered a little. He flashed his buddy a knowing look, and the buddy returned it. His buddy suddenly stopped sweeping and glanced at his watch.

"Aw, man! The girl's track meet is starting now. I promised my girlfriend that I'd be there. Ren, could you maybe clean up by yourself for a while?"

Ren didn't answer, but raised her eyebrow. _What do you think? _She thought in annoyance.

"Thanks, Ren!" the buddy said. "We really owe you one."

Eyes wide, Ren shook her head widely, but the two of them were already hurrying outside. Ren peeked out the door, but they were already gone. Their voices drifted over to her. "Dang, you were right! She really doesn't talk!"

"Yeah, I know. She didn't even open her mouth to protest when we left. What a weirdo!"

Ren didn't move. The last sentence hit her like a blow to the head. A single tear rolled down her cheek before she closed the door and went back to work.

* * *

Slowly, Ren shuffled home, her eyes lowered to the ground. _Why are they all too stupid to understand? _Ren found herself wondering again. Her vision began to swim and blurr. Irritably, she wiped her tears away. _What do I have to do to show them how I feel? I can't just _tell_ them._

Ren stopped. She looked around her in confusion. _This isn't the way home, _she told herself. She glanced down at her feet. _Why'd you led me here? _Ren warily kept walking down the strange street, wondering why it was so deserted.

She heard the flapping of wings. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a bunch of black birds taking off into the sky. They were coming from the roof of a very worn down building. Once Ren got closer, she could see tall steps and a sign that said "Chuuou Art Musuem. Welcome to all." _An art museum? _Ren gasped. _I've never heard of this place._ Ren placed a foot on the first step hesitately. _Maybe I should check it out. If it's good, I can show it to Daichii._

The tall oak doors opened with a loud creek. It was dim inside, so Ren didn't shut the doors. Her footsteps echoed loudly in the empty room. "Hello?" Ren whispered. She saw the front desk. Heading towards it, she said, a little louder, "Hello?" The front desk was empty. Ren's eyes darted back and forth. _Oh well, if I don't have to pay, that's even better. _

As Ren walked down the hallways, the air thickened with tension and forebording. Her curiousity evaporated, but an invisible force kept pushing her forward. Deserted artworks loomed at her from the shadows. Some were breathtaking. Some were scary. Some weren't like anything Ren had ever seen before. As she rounded a corner, her shadow stretched longer and leaned against what looked like a giant blank canvas. It flapped slightly in the little breeze that infiltrated the massive musuem. _Odd. Why would someone hang this up? _Ren touched it softly. _It doesn't even seem like there's a wall behind it._

"Who's there!?!" a gruff voice shouted, breaking Ren's chain of thought.

Ren began to panic. She spun around, trying to find a place to hide. Then her eyes rested on the canvas again. "Show yourself, Intruder! No one's allowed in here. You here me? Where are you?" the voice continued. _I have no choice, _Ren told herself. Glancing around one last time, she slipped in behind the canvas.

It was completely dark in the cramped room. Ren flattened herself against a wall and forced her lungs to breath slower. Ren suddenly wondered if her heart would give her away. She placed her hands on her chest, hoping to muffle the loud beating. "If you're a thief, you might as well come out right now." A shudder ran though her body when she realized how close the man was. "I've got this place surrounded with backup." Ren scowled. What a horrible lie. "I've got a gun!" Ren gulped. She _hoped _that was a lie.

After a while, the footsteps began to get quieter. Ren waited two whole minutes before letting out a sigh. Then she focused on trying to figure out where she was. _What is this place hiding? Why is no one here? _Blindly, Ren stumbled through the clutter to find a light switch.

Her foot tripped over a box. She toppled forward, and her face hit something hard. Ren and whatever had been in her way both smashed into the floor with a loud _BANG! _Ren gasped and scrambled back on her hands and knees. _Oh no! That guy was sure to here that! I have to get out of here! _Ren lifted a hand to push the bangs out of her face--

--and found she couldn't move. Her whole body was frozen, as if her muscles had been immobilized by magic. As she was struggling against the invisible force, a pinpoint of light split through the darkness. No. Two pinpoints of light. With a flash, the artwork Ren had run into shone with a dazzling brilliance. The light made Ren narrow her eyes to the tiniest slits. The sculpture looked like a grim skeleton with dark wings. A crack in its skull radiated brighter than the rest of its body.

_Great! I broke it! _Ren crumpled in a heap when the spell let her loose. Dizzy and disoriented, she leaped on the skeleton and tried to push its skull back into place. Her heart hammered when the crack grew instead of shrunk. The skeleton burned and shook in her hands. Black and white feathers appeared out of no where and swirled around Ren even though there was no wind. The crack had almost split the skeleton in two now.

Eyes as large as saucers, Ren watched as the skeleton got up and threw her off it. Ren landed painfully in a bunch of boxes and lost her wind. Gasping for air and clutching her stomach, she shook her head in disbelief. _No. No! This can't be happening! This has to be a dream! _The skeleton roared in a strange combination of rage, relief, disappointment, satisfaction, and hunger. Ren's head felt like it was going to explode from the noise. The light blinded her. Sharp pains made her body go numb. Then Ren did the loudest thing she had done in years. She screamed in agony before sinking into darkness.

* * *

Daichii rubbed his head. _Man, _he thought. _This algebra's so hard, it's starting to give me a headache. _The boy put his pencil down with a sigh and pushed his chair away from his desk. His eyes flickered over to his art album Ren gave him. Involuntarily, a flush creeped across his face. Daichii looked away again, trying to ignore his sisters taunts that kept replaying in his head. 

With, who had been under the desk lamp, suddenly twitched his ears. The rabbit sat up and listened intently. Daichii laughed at With's confused expression. "What? D'you dream you were in a strawberry patch but woke up here with an empty stomach?" Daichii teased.

With hesitated. Suddenly, he jumped from the desk and shot out the door. "Whoa! With?" Daichii exclaimed. "Where are you going?"

With bounded down the staircase and skidded into the living room where Daisuke was reading. Daisuke was just getting to a suspenceful predicament in the novel when, "Kyu!" a white furball popped out of nowhere and landed heavily in his lap! Daisuke jumped, and his book went flying. The book slid down a small table, pushing an expensive vase near the edge. Before it could fall, Daisuke lunged for the vase. He juggled it dangerously in his hands before clutching it to his chest. Daisuke glared at With.

"With! What do you think you're doing? You almost-- Ouch!" While Daisuke had been getting up, he had hit his head on the edge of the table. In that moment of pain, Daisuke dropped the vase, and part of the rim chipped off. Daisuke and With stared at the vase for a moment. Then they stared at each other.

Heavy pause. "What are you looking at me for? I can fix it," Daisuke replied, a touch nervously.

"Kyuuuuu," With said skeptically.

Pause . . . Pause . . . "Please don't tell Riku about this."

"Kyu!"

Footsteps walked down the stairs. Startled, Daisuke searched for a place to hide the vase. He stuffed it under the couch, grabbed his book, and pretended he was reading just as Daichii walked in. "Hey, Dad? Do you know where--? Ah, here he is," Daichii said. He picked up With, who immediately started squirming in his hands.

"Daichii, have you been mistreating With?" Daisuke asked sternly. "He seems rather anxious."

"No sir. He was just napping in my room when he jerked awake. Maybe he just had a nightmare." Daichii shrugged offhandedly. "Oh, and do you know what that noise was a moment ago?"

"Noise?"

"The sound of something breaking."

Pause . . . Pause . . . PAUSE.

"I really think you need to go to bed, Daichii," Daisuke answered, purposely changing the subject.

"Aww, come on! It's only 9:30 and tomorrow's my birthday. Besides, I still need to do my homework."

"Just go to bed."

"Yes . . . sir?"

Daichii headed back to his bedroom, glancing back at his father oddly. With was still wriggling about. He struggled so much that Daichii just let him go. As soon as his feet hit the ground, With was racing towards the nearest window and staring outside, wondering what could have caused the disturbance in the night.

* * *

**PREVIEW**

"Happy Birthday!"

"Is this . . . a sketchbook?"

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?!? SHE JUST GAVE ME A BOOK, OKAY? KEEP YOUR HUGE NOSE OUT OF MY BUSINESS!!!"

"I feel . . . different. I've felt different ever since last night."

"Would you like to have dinner with me tonight in celebration of my birthday?"

**NEW FEELINGS**


	3. New Feelings

**A/N:** h_ey. sorry for taking so long on this chapter. something went wrong and it wouldn't let me upload it. remember to review this chapter to tell me if you like the sneak peek idea or not. that's all i have to say really._

**Disclaimer: **_I'm just an otaku. I don't own anything._

* * *

_**The Next Generation**_

_**Chapter 3**_

**Anything But Ordinary**

The alarm clock buzzed. For once, Daichii was actually glad to hear it. Smiling, he stretched and stroked the white rabbit sleeping on his chest. "Today's going to be a great day, With," Daichii said happily.

"Kyuuu," With yawned.

Daichii rolled his eyes and jumped down from his bed. He couldn't quite explain it, but he couldn't help but feel . . . confident. As if everything was going to go right. A quick shower and a change of clothes, and Daichii was heading downstairs, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. Before he made it, confetti exploded into the air. "Surprise! Happy Birthday!" his family shouted, suddenly appearing at the base of the stairs.

Daichii laughed as he brushed the colored paper bits out of his hair. "Thanks, but uh, what's with the confetti?" He skipped the last couple of steps and started walking towards the kitchen. Rikae caught up with him.

"Do you like it?" she asked innocently. And then, not so innocently, "I made it out of the pictures in your textbooks."

"WHAT!?!"

"Just kidding. Just kidding," Rikae replied when her brother rounded on her. The little girl stuck out her tongue and added quietly, "I wanted to, but Mom and Dad wouldn't let me." Daichii glared at her.

"Wait, honey. Don't you want to open your present before breakfast, Daichii?" Riku interrupted before her children could continue fighting.

Daichii glanced over his shoulder at the rectangular object his father was holding. He winced inside. _Oh man, _he thought, _don't tell me that's a book! Ughhh. Is mom trying to get me to read more again? _"Oh, uh . . . right." Daichii took the gift from his father. The boy ripped the shiny paper as fast as he could so he could fake his gratitude and get on with his life. It was a book alright, but it had no title on its milky, swirly cover. "Is this . . . ?" Daichii opened the book. Blank pages flipped past him. ". . . a sketchbook?"

"Well," Daisuke explained. "You always have your nose in those art encyclopedias. I figured that maybe you'd like to give it a try."

"B-but," Daichii stammered. He bowed his head in embarrassment. "I just look. I can't really draw well."

"Are you kidding!" Rikae exclaimed gleefully. "Daichii can't even sketch stickfigures right!"

"WHY YOU!"

"Rikae, stop pestering your brother," Riku ordered sternly. "It's his birthday after all." Riku turned to her son and ruffled his dripping hair. "It's alright, Daichii. Everything takes a little bit of practice. You should know that. Besides, since your Daisuke's son, I bet _some _of his tremendous abilities have been passed on to you."

"I wouldn't say tremendous," Daisuke chuckled modestly.

"Dad's an artist?" Daichii and Rikae said in unison.

"That's right." Their father let out a wistful sigh. "I could waste whole afternoons painting, especially by the fountain park. I've been too busy to do anything major these days. Maybe one of these days I could show you some of my old pictures."

Daichii gazed at the book, up at his father, and back to the sketchbook again. Then he smiled. "That'd be great, Dad. Thanks. I suppose I could give it a try. Besides, I could always get Ren to give me a few pointers," Daichii explained.

"Ren likes art too?" Daisuke asked curiously.

Daichii nodded excitedly. "She's really good at it! I only found out just yesterday. She made me a picture for my birthday."

Rikae elbowed Daichii in the ribs. "And then she gave you your special birthday kiss, right?" Rikae teased impishly.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?!? SHE JUST GAVE ME A BOOK, OKAY? KEEP YOUR HUGE NOSE OUT OF MY BUSINESS!"

"Rikae, I told you not to pester your brother today," Riku reminded sternly.

"Yes, mom," Rikae muttered. When Riku wasn't looking, Rikae dropped the innocent act long enough to smirk evilly at Daichii. Daichii glared at her, wanting very much to grab a roll of duck tape and cover up that annoying little mouth. Before he could do so, however, his stomach growled loudly. Everyone stared at Daichii.

Daichii's face grew hot. "Uh . . ." he said sheepishly. "Haha, my stomach's all ready for that big, delicious breakfast you made, Mom."

Riku brightened and clapped her hands together. "Hooray! My boy's finally eating!" Riku grabbed her son's hand and pulled him into the kitchen. "Well, don't just stand there. Come on! I made all your favorites!"

* * *

Ren sighed. _Come on, school bell. Hurry up and ring! _All around her, people were having fun before the bell rung to let them in. Ren was sitting on a bench by herself, lost in thought. She squeezed her bag against her chest tighter. _What's wrong with me? _she wondered curiously. _I feel . . . different. I've felt different ever since last night. _Ren closed her eyes and tried to remember the creepy art building. 

**FLASHBACK**

**Ren just crouched in pain for a while. Her right cheek was resting on the smooth, cold floor. She just wanted to lay there forever, but wasn't the case. **

**"What was that noise?!?" **

**Ren got up wearily, shaking all over. **_**Oh no! It's that man! I need to get out of here! **_**She pushed herself to her feet, but she was too late. A burly man in a blue uniform stumbled through the canvas wall. Ren flattened herself against the wall, praying he wouldn't find her in the dark. With a small click, a light beam appeared out of no where. "I never knew there was a room in here," the man muttered to himself, shining the flashlight around. It took only a few seconds for the light to find the destroyed artwork. Ren's heart fluttered when she saw his expression turn stoney and angry. **

**The man walked around. Ren watched him pull a gun out of his holster. He got closer and closer until Ren couldn't take it anymore. She dashed behind a box near the entrance. The flashlight jerked in her direction, but she was already out of view. Ren glanced at the canvas wall in despair. **_**How am I supposed to get past that without moving it? **_**Nonetheless, Ren took a deep, silent breath and slipped out of the room. It only fluttered the canvas a little, but the man noticed anyway. **

**"STOP!"**

**At the sound of the gunshot, Ren ran for it. Her footsteps echoed loudly in the deserted hallways, making an easy path to follow. She skidded into a different corridor when another shot was heard. **_**What do I do? What do I do?**_

**Slowly, Ren began to realize there were small archways in the building. She stopped, thinking and breathing quickly. Just between the arch and the ceiling was the tiniest bit of space. Ren stared at it in dismay. How to get up there? A gunshot. Ren's head jerked to the right. It was just a bare wall with peeling paint. Ren backed up before charging. She jumped, pushed against the wall, and launched herself toward the arch. Another gunshot. Ren dangled helplessly from the archway in full view. Her arms weren't strong enough, and her backpack weighed her down. Ren swung from side to side until she could kick one leg up. She used that to lift her up, but her body wouldn't fit in the small space. The next gunshot made her suck in her breath in fear. That was all she needed.**

**So there Ren was, squished until she could barely breath, let alone move. She heard the man coming closer and closer. It never even occured to the man that Ren's noisy footfalls had disappeared. Ren held her breath, wishing the man would hurry up and leave. Several minutes later, she dared to sqeeze her way out of the arch. She collasped heavily on the ground, gasping and clutching her heart. Ren closed her eyes. **_**Almost. I've almost made it. **_**She smirked in satisfaction. **_**I guess it does pay to be quiet sometimes.**_

**She looked up wearily and spotted a dusty door a far corner. The battered girl hobbled over to it, still breathless. When she opened it, fresh air greeted her. She was on a fire escape, high above the ground. Ren hesitated. **_**I should be going down as fast as possible, **_**she told herself, **_**but isn't that what they're expecting? **_**Ren paused only a second longer before climbing the fire escape up instead of down. **_**Huh. I never really thought about people using it both ways.**_

**Ren made it to the roof. The wind, though not too strong, made it hard to find her balance. Before she could reconsider, Ren ran across the roof and jumped to the next building. **_**I've always wanted to do this! **_**Ren laughed in exhileration while in midair. **_**It makes me feel like some sort of brave hero! **_**She landed neatly and leaped for the next rooftop. **_**Then again, I'm surprised I really AM doing this. It would have been so much easier to just explain to the guy that it was an accident. I've never wanted to be so secretive before. Why start now . . . ?**_

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"Ren?"

Ren's head shot up. She found herself face to face with Daichii. He blinked at her. "What are you doing here?"

Ren gave him an annoyed look and folded her arms. Daichii laughed. "Okay, I get it. Dumb question."

"Happy . . . Birthday," Ren muttered.

"Thanks. Hey, look what my parents got me!" Daichii tossed his bag on the bench Ren was sitting on. Curiously, Ren opened it and rummaged through its contents. There was nothing out of the ordinary until Ren spotted milky swirls. She pulled out a book she had never seen before. "It's a sketchbook," Daichii explained.

_A sketchbook? Really? _Ren flipped through the pages eagerly.

"Uh, it doesn't have anything in it yet," Daichii replied awkwardly. "I just got it this morning."

Ren examined the paper. _Not too bad. Not too bad. It isn't thin enough to trace, but it is thick enough to keep most paints from bleeding through. And it's not a spiralbound. Those kind always seem to last the shortest. This is very high quality. I wonder where he got it. _Ren handed the sketchbook and his bag back to Daichii.

"Thanks." Daichii hesitated a moment, a finger tapping the cover nervously. "I wanted to ask you--"

The bell rang. Ren stood up slowly and reached for her backpack. Daichii snatched it first. Holding it out, he asked, "Ren, I was wondering . . . would you like to have dinner with me tonight in celebration of my birthday? We can go anywhere you want, and I'll pay for all of it."

Ren smiled softly. "Backwards," she answered. She tried to get her bag from him, but Daichii pulled it back.

"Okay," Daichii admitted. "So tecnically you should be the one treating me to dinner. But I can do anything I want since it's my birthday, right? It's just for tonight." Daichii's morning confidence was beginning to disappear. He was afraid that if he asked Ren on a date flat out, she would refuse.

Ren's face fell. Avoiding his gaze, Ren whispered, "Can't. . . I'm . . . busy."

Ren managed to grab back her backpack. She stepped back a few paces before turning to run towards the school. "W-wait!" Daichii called. "If not tonight, then maybe tomorow?"

Ren stopped. Her hands gripped her backpack tightly, nervously. She looked at her feet. "Maybe!" Ren finally shouted before hurrying into the building.

Daichii watched her go glumly. Then he turned and kicked the bench over and over. "Shoot!" he hissed. "She knows I was trying to ask her out. Ren doesn't like me like that." Daichii sighed. "Now she's probably gonna feel awkward when she's around me." Daichii kicked the bench one last time before slinging his bag over his shoulder and limping to school.

* * *

**PREVIEW**

"What's a matter? Birthday not go as planned? It's okay. If I remember correctly, my fourteenth birthday was anything but ordinary."

"That was the day you first turned into Dark, wasn't it?"

"How could I be so stupid! Just because Rikae says a few things, I lose my head and ask Ren out on a date!"

"Wha--what's happening?"

"Whoa. Daichii's . . . hot."

**ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY**


	4. Anything But Ordinary

**A/N: **_Hopefully, now that summer is finally here, I can update my fanfics more often. I'm trying to make a new chapter at least once a week. That's what I'm TRYING to do anyway. So now Dark finally appears. Hurrah! Maybe the story will speed up a little now. Oh, and REVIEWS PEOPLE! I need reviews! I don't care if you flame me until I'm more burnt than my great uncle's hamburgers, just please review!_

**Disclaimer: **_Hey. I just learned telepathy. Can you hear what I'm thinking about this disclaimer?_

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Next Generation**_

**_Chapter 4_**

**Anything But Ordinary**

Ren walked slowly into her house. She slipped off her shoes, crept inside her room, and collasped on the bed with a sigh. Feeling a headache coming on, she rubbed her forehead. _Great, _Ren thought to herself. _And now I have babysitting the twins to look forward to. _Ren made a face and rolled over onto her stomach.

Mr. Mara had two twins around the age of nine. Ren hated them. Not only were the two boys loud and unruly, but they often took advantage over Ren's silence. Babysitting them was always a nightmare. _Still, _she reminded herself, _I have to be grateful for Mr. Mara taking me in like that. He was still grieving over his dead wife, but he never hesitated to welcome me when we met. _Ren frowned in reluctance. _I owe Mr. Mara, big time. So if that means I have to take care of those evil twins, I guess I have to do it. _

Ren's eyes lazily drifted over to her right. Sitting on an easel in the shadows was a painting in process. The girl got up and admired it with a smile. It depicted a beautiful moon shining down on the Mara garden. Once finished, it would probably be Ren's greatest work. She ran a finger down the sketch wistfully. _Although, I still feel like an amaetur, especially after seeing all the artwork in that abandoned museum yesterday. _Her eyes widened. An icy cold gripped Ren when she remembered the hidden room with its terrible contents. Lightening bolts of fear traveled up and down her spine. She shuddered and starting pulling out her homework to distract the memory.

"Ren! Could you come down here for a second?" someone called from below.

Ren softly set down her books and tiptoed downstairs. Scrambling to get ready was a tall, handsome man with black hair that was only slightly graying, Mr. Mara. Ren stopped and watched him curiously. It seemed like something was wrong. "I'm late for my important meeting," he explained as he searched through his briefcase. "Take care of the house while I'm gone. Keep the twins from burning a neighbors house. You know the drill."

Ren nodded and looked Mr. Mara up and down. His hair was slicked back with tons of gel. His suit was pressed and ironed to perfection. His shoes couldn't be any shinier. His large, capable hands shut the impressive leather briefcase and picked it up. None of these things were what caught the girl's attention. The man's face was flushed with heat. It could be from the suit or running around, but then again . . .

"Oh, and also," Mr. Mara added as he stuffed his arms in his jacket and jammed a hat on his head at the same time, "make sure the twins get in bed on time. They shouldn't be staying up late on a school--" Mr. Mara broke off into a nasty sounding cough.

Ren's eyebrows flew up in surprise. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she asked softly, "Are you . . . sure you should . . . go?"

"I must. This is very important to me." Mr. Mara brushed off Ren's hand and wiped a hankercheif over his sweaty brow. "Good luck, Ren, and goodnight."

"But . . ." Mr. Mara didn't hear her. He was halfway out the door with a loud sneeze. Ren followed him stubbornly and grabbed his arm. "Sick," Ren pleaded. "Must stay"

"Ren, I have to go," Mr. Mara told her sternly, trying to free his arm.

Ren shook her head. She sucked in her breath when he coughed again. "No . . . No meeting . . . Mr. Mara . . . will only get sicker."

Mr. Mara sighed and shut the door. He shoved his suitcase into Ren's unsuspecting arms. Ren watched him shuffled back upstairs to his room. "Oh well," Mr. Mara said, finally showing how miserable he felt. "My head hurts so much, I don't think I could pay attention anyway. I'll just have to call the guys and tell them my daughter has restricted me to my room."

Ren smiled in satisfaction. _Mr. Mara works so much, he deserves a break . . . even if he had to be sick to get it. _Her smile vanished. She looked down at her feet sadly. _I guess this means I'll be too busy with Mr. Mara to go out much these next few days. I'll have to explain to Daichii that I can't have dinner with him. _Tossing the suitcase in a chair, Ren forced herself to cheer up.

* * *

"I'm home," Daichii called unenthusiastically as he shuffled into the house and kicked his shoes off. The boy let out a sigh and slumped over before heading towards the stairs.

Daisuke and Riku where in the living room on the couch. Riku was flipping through the channels in boredom. Daisuke was reading the paper, but he looked up when his son passed by the doorway. "Well you look down," Daisuke commented. Then he smiled sympathetically. "What's wrong? Birthday not go as planned?"

"No," Daichii muttered irritably. Rather than listen to his father, Daichii was already climbing the stairs.

Daisuke shook his head and folded up his newspaper. "You know," he said, raising his voice so Daichii could hear, "if I recall correctly, my 14th birthday was anything but ordinary."

_Great. Another one of those "back in the old days it was a lot harder for us" stories adults tell. _Daichii thought. He breathed out through his teeth in annoyance.

"That's when you tried to get a date with Risa right?" Riku asked.

Daichii froze on the last step. He could just barely hear his father mumble, "My plan should have gone perfectly too."

Curiousity got the better of the boy. Hesitating slightly, Daichii descended back down. "Plan? What do you mean plan?" Daichii asked in the doorway.

Daisuke looked away uncomfortably. Riku dropped the remote with relish and explained impishly, "Your father had a crush on my sister when we were young. You should have seen him! Always being so nice and doing whatever Risa said. Anyway, on his 14th birthday he decided to give Risa a love letter. He had been up all night, writing that. And then, before he gave it to her, Risa spoke the worst words a crush can ever say."

"What?" Daichii asked, getting interested as his father seemed to shrink in embarrassment.

Riku smiled. "'You're such a great friend.'"

Daichii raised an eyebrow. "Why is that so bad?"

"Well of course, it means that she isn't interested and she just wants to be friends. Plus, wouldn't you feel awkward around a friend if you knew they had a crush on you?"

That statement hit Daichii like a slap to the face. The boy laughed ruefully, remembering all too well what had happened that morning. "Yeah, uh . . . I'm going to go upstairs," Daichii explained in fake cheer. As soon as he had turned his back, his face melted into horror and he hurried into his bedroom.

Riku and Daisuke watched their son leave idly. Then Riku propped her head up with her hand and looked at Daisuke. "That was the day you turned into Dark, right?" she asked softly.

Daisuke folded up the newspaper with a sigh. Without meeting Riku's gaze, he said, "Yeah." Daisuke put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his soft seat. "In a way, I'm glad Daichii will never have to go through with the Niwa curse. It's a pain having to always steal every night . . . and keeping my head around the two most beautiful twins in the school."

"Oh stop it," Riku responded with an elbow jab. "Just tell me what you want. Flattery won't get you anywhere."

* * *

Daichii collasped into his desk chair and spun around a few times. Then, moaning in frustration, the boy laid his head on the desk and buried his face with his arms. "I am such an idiot!" Daichii exclaimed, sounding muffled.

"Kyuuu?" With hopped down from Daichii's bed and landed next to his owner. Trying to be of some comfort, With nuzzled against that mop of pink-red hair. Daichii tried to brush him off, but With only nibbled on his fingers. "Kyu!"

"Alright, alright. I'm not an idiot." Daichii lifted his head slightly. "But how could I lose my head like that? Rikae says a few things and then I ask Ren out on a date! Now she's going to feel so uncomfortable around me, and it's all my fault!"

With hopped backward and collided into a picture frame. It tottered back and forth before falling off the desk. In a flash, Daichii had caught it. "With, you've got to be more careful," Daichii mumbled. Daichii examined the picture with a fond smile. The photo depicted a younger verision of Ren and himself. They were completely covered in mud, but even that didn't dim the sparkle in their eyes.

"I remember this," Daichii explained softly, propping his head up with his hand. It had been a year after the two had first met, around when Ren had started talking again. Daichii had wanted to throw Ren a party, even if it would only be the two of them. With his mother's help, Daichii had baked two cupcakes with just the right amount of strawberry icing, Ren's favorite. However, when Daichii was showing Ren the cupcakes, he had accidentally tripped. Ren had seemed mighty shocked when her favorite desert was dripping from her face. She grabbed a handful of mud for payback, and soon the two were launched in a fierce mud war. Their parents hadn't appreciated the dirty outcome, but that was probably the most fun Ren had had in a long time. Daichii wouldn't have had it any other way.

Daichii laughed when he saw traces of pink icing in Ren's hair. Even when she was a mess, she still pulled off looking cute. His friend had the tiny, timid appearance of someone who's been through a lot, but her face was nothing short of blissful joy. It was the kind of pure happiness that only the innocent children could contain. Daichii shook his head in wonder. _How much she's changed, _he marveled. _Ren's not the adorable little girl I called my friend anymore. She's grown, grown in age . . . and beauty. _Daichii sat bolt upright, startled he could even think such a thing. He buried his face in his hands frustratedly. _No, no, NO! It's not true. We're just friends._

_Right?_

Wincing, Daichii recalled the morning's events. Ren had looked so nervous and startled. Had she already guessed what was going on? Would she start to avoid him now? Without meaning to, he relived her running away from him over and over again, with her "Maybe!" grating in his ears.

A strange new feeling shot through Daichii. It made his whole body tremble. "What . . . the?" Daichii panted as it got harder to breathe. Panicking, the boy stood up to tell his mom, but a spasm of pain made him stumble into his desk. The picture frame crashed into the floor, and its glass shattered. It sounded far away to Daichii. The world spun around until Daichii could barely keep his eyes open. In agony, he slid off his desk to the floor. _It hurts! What's happening? _Daichii curled up in a ball. _Please . . . end . . . soon._

With watched helplessly as Daichii slowly began to breathe normally again. It took a while before he dared to open his eyes again. The pain had vanished completely. Daichii heaved himself to a sitting position with a grunt. "That was wierd," Daichii whispered. He ran a hand through his hair nervously as he glanced at the mirror. The boy froze and felt his heart stop.

"MOM!!! DAD!!!"

Daichii threw the door open and flew down the stairs. He could faintly hear his mother scold, "Don't yell, dear." Daichii swerved into the kitchen breathing heavily. His mother was washing dishes with her back to her son.

"Mom! Mom! I've changed!" Daichii exclaimed in a rush, waving his arms around.

"Oh? Is puberty getting you down?" Riku asked, not turning around. "It's alright. Everyone goes through it at one time or another. Why don't you talk to your father?"

Daichii clenched his teeth and shouted, "No, I mean I really am different! Look!"

Riku casually looked over her shoulder . . . and spun around in shock. The plate she had been washing slipped from her fingers and smashed against the tiled floor. "Daisuke," she cried in a strangled voice as her hands clapped to her mouth.

Daisuke burst into the kitchen. The curious Rikae was at his heels. "What's with all the ye--?" Daisuke asked, but broke off when he saw Daichii.

Rikae pushed past her father, her eyes wide. "Whoa," she whispered hoarsely. "Daichii's . . . _hot!_" Gone were the boy's hair, his eyes, his height. Daichii was now much taller. His hair was now purple in color and much longer. His eyes were like amethysts. In short, yeah, Daichii had been a hit with the girls, but now he might as well be the prince of the school.

Daisuke grabbed his son by the shoulders and shook him. "Daichii, what happened?" demanded, almost angrily.

"I-I don't know," Daichii stammered nervously.

"Daisuke!" Riku exclaimed. Her voice snapped Daisuke out of it, and he stopped shaking Daichii. Instead, he staggered back and collasped wearily in a chair. Daichii was also backing away from his father. His back hit the wall, and for once, to his greatest shame, Daichii felt helpless and pathetic.

"I thought Dark was gone for good," Daisuke mumbled, rubbing his forehead.

"Dark?" Daichii echoed quietly. He bit his lip and said, "Dad, what's going on? Am I going to have to go to school like this tomorrow?"

"What is he going to do?" Riku wondered worriedly.

Daisuke let his hand drop, and he stared into space. "What else?" Daichii's father said after a while. They all looked at Daichii, and Daichii began to lose his breath again. "Daichii is going to have to steal something."

* * *

**PREVIEW**

"There used to be a powerful phantom thief with jet black wings named Dark. For over 300 years, Dark's magic has been passed down through the Niwa genes. On his fourteenth birthday, every male member must go through a major transformation and uphold the Dark's tradition of stealing."

"Dark! I know you're listening! Come out!"

"I'd say that I'm soaring with impatience to learn, but this is just ridiculious!"

"Sir, Dark's escaped with the art piece!"

"You mean I have to get a GIRLFRIEND!?!!?!?!?"

**THE DARKEST NIGHT**


	5. The Darkest Night

**A/N: **_Okay, so lately, I've been suffering from brain damage until I completely screw up my fanfic, but I think it's all fixed. So, for anyone who might have gotten confused, GOMEN!!! GOMEN NASAI!!!!!!!!! (pulls a ritsu. i **am** the year of the monkey after all) And, just in case no one's been reading lately, YOU'RE A-OKAY! (thumbs up) Well, tecnically, you're not okay, because you're making a poor otaku stay out in the cold and shiver while she waits for REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!! (wink wink)_

_So, here's the chapter. And if you're worried about my sudden bi-polarness, I ate iced animal crackers, brownies, and a snow cone today. (hops up and down) Does it show?_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own DNAngel_

* * *

_**The Next Generation**_

**_Chapter 5_**

**The Darkest Night**

"STEAL!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN STEAL!?! WHAT'S GOING ON? I WANT ANSWERS NOW!!!"

"Daichii, calm down," Riku pleaded.

"CALM DOWN! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CALM DOWN!?!" Daichii shouted angrily.

"Daichii! Be quiet," Daisuke commanded, and with a swift, stern gaze, Daichii fell silent. Daisuke turned to Riku and said, "I'm going to call my mother. Maybe she can tell me why this is happening again."

They all watched Daisuke leave. They stood there in silence before Daichii murmured hoarsely, "You know about this, don't you? You guys knew about it and didn't tell me?"

"No!" Riku exclaimed. "Daichii we're just as shocked about this as you are! This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"But you do know what's going on," Daichii retorted.

"Well . . . yes. We do." Riku looked at her feet. "I don't know all the facts, but I guess you'd except anything at this point." Riku paused and took a deep breath. "There used to be a powerful phantom thief with jet black wings named Dark. For over 300 years, Dark's magic has been passed down through the Niwa genes. On his fourteenth birthday, every male member must go through a major transformation and uphold the Dark's tradition of stealing."

"So . . . Dad . . . ?

"Yes, your father went through the same thing when he was younger." Riku sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter. She brought her hands to her face. "But what are we going to do? This wasn't supposed to happen! Stealing is dangerous, and you haven't had any training! What's worse, if Krad comes back . . ." Her shouders shook, and Daichii knew she was fighting the urge to sob. Daichii gazed at his mother softly.

" . . . Mom."

Rikae was watching a little ways away, kneeling in a chair. She glanced at her mother to her brother to her mother again with eyes that were slightly troubled. But when she opened her mouth, she asked loudly, "If Daichii dies, can I have his room?"

"You have got to be _kidding_ me." Daichii growled in a low voice. He clenched his fists to keep himself from whacking Rikae one. "What a selfish brat!"

Just then, the kitchen door swung open. Daisuke walked in with the phone in his hand and his shoulders sagging. "What did Emiko say?" Riku asked shakily.

"It's as I suspected," Daisuke admitted. "If Daichii wants to return to his normal self, then he has to steal the heart of Divine Maiden." Daichii felt his head whirling in confusion, but he snapped out of it when he caught his dad staring at him.

"Uh, dad?"

"Dark! Come out. I know you're listening," Daisuke suddenly said.

"Wha--?" Daichii began, but broke off with a gasp when he was enveloped by a blinding light. Riku and Daisuke watched calmly enough, but Rikae stood bolt upright in her chair.

"Daichii!" she shrieked.

"It's alright, Rikae," Daisuke reassured.

The light subsided, and left a confused looking teen standing in the center of attention. He looked himself up and down. He flexed and stretched his hands. While testing his limbs, he mumbled, "I'm alive?" He peered at Daisuke. "You must be Daisuke, right? It's been a while," Dark replied.

"I wish I could say it's great to see you again, but right now I'm a little too confused for warm welcomes," Daisuke remarked, folding his arms.

"And this is Riku," Dark continued, facing the woman.

Riku didn't say anything. She only stared back at Dark with her mouth set in a straight, grim line. "I see you're still as cold as ever," Dark chuckled. "I thought you might have changed over time." He narrowed his eyes and glanced at the last member in the room. Rikae was still standing in the chair, trembling with her eyes wide. Her grip on the chair tightened when Dark walked up to her and reached out a hand to touch the little girl's cheek. "So this must be--"

"Get away!" Rikae shouted, pushing Dark's hand away. "What have you done to Daichii?"

"Our daughter, Rikae," Daisuke explained, but Dark wasn't listening anymore. He was gazing at his hands again.

"So it's true. It really has started again," Dark whispered. Then he slapped himself. "Wait! If I'm back, that means Krad is back too! Idiot! I was sure that I had sealed us properly."

"Well, what's done is done," Daisuke reminded. "We can't do anything to reverse the past, so we're just going to have to get back into the swing of things . . ." Daisuke trailed off as he searched for a pen and paper. "I'm going to say you'll steal the Divine Maiden at 11:00. Sound good?"

Dark's eyes scanned the walls until he found a clock. It said 8:33. Dark smirked. "Ah, a bit soon, but I guess it's okay."

"Dark, listen. This has been a surprise for all of us," Daisuke said. "Daichii has had no training whatsoever. He's going to be lost for a while." Daisuke frowned worriedly. "Daichii may be the top athlete in his class, but he's no thief. Make sure you don't push things, and try to help him along the way."

"Yeah, yeah. As a father, it's your job to be concerned, yadda yadda," Dark responded in a bored voice. Then, he whispered, "So, Daichii, huh? Well, if you're anything like your father, this is sure to be a interesting."

_Eh?!? What's that supposed to mean? Change me back!_

"Ahhh. I don't really feel like it." Dark shrugged and headed upstairs to clear his head. "Oh, and happy birthday."

* * *

The slow beat of wings and the slight glimmer of faded stars. The faroff noises of citylife and a cool, inky darkness. That's all there was. Some might consider it enchanting. Some might consider it romantic. However, for one teen, it was anything but. 

_I think I'm going to be sick, _Daichii groaned, eyeing the town that now resembled his sister's dollhouse.

"You'll get used to it," Dark said, smirking in amusement. He scanned the streets below. "Ah! Good. The police came. I was worried that they wouldn't show on such short notice."

_That's a _good_ thing!!!_

"Well, it gets boring if there's no challenge. Hmm, I hope the town detectives have shown up too."

_You're a bit arrogent, don't ya think?_

"Not really, but I do know that no lousy guard can catch me. What we really need is someone with brains and cunning. Then it will get fun."

_Sounds arrogent to me._

"Think whatever helps you sleep at night. Just make sure you pay attention to a pro at work."

_I'd say that I'm soaring with impatience to learn, _Daichii muttered dryly, wincing again at the dizzying height, _but this is just ridiculious!_

Dark laughed before swooping down. "Well that's new," Dark remarked as he circled carelessly around the magnificent art museum. "It's strange how much things can change in only twenty years."

_Dark! What are you doing?!?!_ Daichii cried hysterically. _You're flying right through all the spotlights!_

"So? I want to make sure they know I'm back."

Dark finally chose a window and hovered by it. With a flick of his wrist, a dark feather shot out from his sleeve. While Daichii watched in confusion, the phantom thief slid the feather under the window pane. After several heartbeats, a dark, pulsing dome of magic shot from the feather. As it grew, it forced the window open to a crack. Smiling in satisfaction, Dark lifted the window open the rest of the way.

A mere shadow, Dark crept through the deserted hallways. He paused when he heard distant but quick footsteps. Straightening up in boredom, Dark snapped his fingers. Somewhere in the museum, the Divine Maiden dissappeared under a wall of illusion. Dark walked around in a circle, surveying his situation. Multi colored flags hung from large poles on the wall. In a small corner, high up on the wall, there was a dark gargoyle. The window Dark came out of had huge, thick curtains of red satin. The footsteps were getting louder and more frantic. "Hmph. This is two easy," Dark complained. "It's as if they actually _want _me to get away with this."

_Dark! Drop the confidence and hide already! _Daichii panicked.

"Calm down. Calm down." Dark looked up at the gargoyle again and flew up to it. There was just enough room on the niche between the wall and the gargoyle. Dark didn't bother getting rid of his wings. They went well with the ugly statue.

_Showoff, _Daichii muttered irritably. _The curtains were just as good. _

Still, Daichii watched in fascination when the group of policeman came running. The boy's heart stopped when he saw two lone, dark feathers lying on the ground. The policemen, whose heads were bent low anyway, spotted it almost at the exact same time. "Sir! It's the phantom thief's feather!" one of them said to a guy in a brown trench coat that was obviously in charge.

The trench coat guy glanced at the open window. "Do you think he already has the Divine Maiden and has made his escape?"

His three officers looked horrified at the very idea. Without another word, they scrambled to the art piece's exhibit, leaving their leader behind. Trench coat hesitated at the window before barking into a walkie talkie to increase the lookout outside.

_See? I know what I'm doing. Now we have our own personal guide to take us to the Divine Maiden. _Dark winced slightly. _I have _no idea_ where it could be. _

_I've always wondered, _Daichii stated, _if in movies and books, the bad guys always hide on the ceiling, why do people never look up just in case?_

_Mmm. Who knows? People just don't think straight in real life situations. Too tense, I guess._

The doors opened and revealed three gaping policemen. Dark, dressed up as one of them, fought to hide a smile at their dumbfound expressions. "Officers!" Dark exclaimed, standing firmly at attention even when the three men jumped. "Dark has been found soaring through the skies. He has the Divine Maiden!"

Curse words rose up, and everyone ran out the door. Everyone exept Dark, who slowed down and hesitated at the last second. When he was sure they were gone. He took off his cap and faked an exaggerated bow to the exhibit. "Nice to meet you again, O Beautiful Maiden."

_Can you get any cornier? I'm starting to die here!_

Ignoring the hot-headed teen, Dark picked up the Divine Maiden and traced the curves of her face. Then he frowned. Holding it at an arm's length, Dark admitted, "I could have sworn I would meet Krad here. Oh well, I guess it's for the better."

_Who is this Krad dude everyone keeps talking about? _

"Eh, nevermind. I don't feel like explaining it right now. When we get home, ask your father if he still keeps in touch with his friend Hiwatari."

_Hiwatari? _Daichii echoed.

* * *

Daichii watched with slight indifference while his family performed a strange ritual on the artwork. The boy shuddered. Forget dark basements. It was creepy being in a place that looked like it would belong in a castle dungeon, not to mention all the magicky junk his relatives were shouting out carelessly. And to think that this had been in his grandmother's house all these years. 

"There. It's done," Emiko sighed, pulling off her hood.

Smiling, Daichii unfolded his arms and headed over to his father and grandmother. "Thank gosh this is finally over!"

"That's right," Emiko said, ruffling her grandson's hair in affection. "The Divine Maiden's power has been release. You should get some sleep so you can do well at school and be wide awake for your next phantom thief appearance."

Daichii yawned. "Yeah, I am pretty -- WHAT!?!" Daichii slapped his grandmother's hand away and jumped back.

"What is it, Daichii?" Daisuke asked as he put away the Divine Maiden.

"Y-you were joking, right?" Daichii stuttered. "I-I'm back to normal, r-right?"

"You're back to normal alright, until you're hormones go through trauma again," Emiko giggled with a wink.

"HAAHHH!??!?!?!?!?"

"Daichii, don't tell me you really thought it was over. I thought I was clear," Daisuke replied.

"You said I had to steal the Divine Maiden!" Daichii pointed a finger at his father accusingly.

"No, the _heart _of _your _Divine Maiden," Emiko explained a little too cheefully.

"You mean I have to get a GIRLFRIEND!?!?" Daichii shouted, ready to yank out his hair.

Emiko put an arm around his shoulders and steered him towards the stairs. Poking him gleefully at every other word, she whispered, "It's more than just a girlfriend. Your mother was Daisuke's Divine Maiden, you know." Daichii felt the color rise in his cheeks as his grandmother laughed.

He whirled around. "How is this fair?!? First you tell me I have to steal, then I'm forced to find my true love!" Just saying the word made Daichii face burn uncontrollably. "I don't know the first thing about girls! I can't just spend my whole life searching! I want to go back to normal NOW!!!"

Daichii didn't talk to his parents the rest of the night. As soon as they reached their house, Daichii stormed up to his room and locked his door. In the dark, the boy slid down his door in exhaustion and rested his head on his knees. _That's her, isn't it? _came a soft voice.

Daichii narrowed his eyes when he recognized it. "Her for what?" he demanded angrily. He glared at his left, but his expression softened when he saw the broken picture frame. The photo of the mud-covered devils lied somberly under the shattered glass, one corner bent up.

_Your Divine Maiden._

"She's just a friend, okay?" Daichii got up and began climbing up his bed ladder.

_Well . . . things can change. They did for your father._

Daichii paused on the last rung. He hung his head and muttered, "Things will never change for me. Ren would never like me." Daichii''s temper flared up again. "Just leave me alone and let me get some sleep!" Daichii plunged into his bed, punched his pillow a few times, and then tried his best to fall asleep.

* * *

**PREVIEW**

"Stealing is wrong! Why do I have to be forced to be the bad guy?"

"Aww, now you hurt my feelings!

"Just shove it up and be quiet!!"

"Yep, that's definitely your Divine Maiden. What do you say I meet her?"

"Either I've gone crazy with guilt, or I've just gone crazy."

**THE VOICES IN MY HEAD**


	6. Voices in my Head

**A/N: **_wow. this was probably the fastest i've ever updated. lucky you. ; ) teehee! it's so fun making dialogue between Daichii and Dark._

**Disclaimer: **_man, i can't even drive a car yet. do you really think i would own this anime?_

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Next Generation**_

_**Chapter 6**_

**The Voices in my Head**

Daiichi was running through the streets. _I can't believe I overslept! _He thought to himself.

_Don't worry. You'll get used to the Phantom Thief schedule soon. It didn't take your father long. _

_I don't WANT to get used to it! I don't WANT to steal! _

_It's kinda late for that, now isn't it? _

_Stealing is wrong! Why do I have to be forced to be the bad guy? _

_Aww, now you hurt my feelings. _

_Shut up, Dark! I'm in no mood for your sarcasm. _

School was only a block away. There was ten minutes 'til class. If Daiichi just ran a little faster . . . Daiichi pumped his arms and pushed his legs, praying he wouldn't be late. His parents were already concerned at the mound of tardy slips in his trash can. Daiichi skidded to a stop before turning to the right sharply. He was now on school grounds. No one was out there waiting. They were already inside.

"Oh man!" Daiichi panted wearily. Daiichi burst through the doors and sprinted towards homeroom. Something in a passing hallway caught his eye. It was Ren. She looked a little troubled and confused. Daiichi saw her shake her head, trying to get something out of her thoughts. He was so caught up in Ren that Daiichi forgot to look where he was going.

"Hey! Slow down!" a janitor shouted as Daiichi passed him. "I just mopped the floors!"

The young boy's foot slipped out underneath him, and he crashed to the ground. Daiichi moaned and tried to get back up. With a loud squeak, he found himself lying flat on the floor instead. The janitor was grunting insults and cusswords at Daiichi's clumsiness and dirty shoes. Daiichi saw petite feet stop in front of him. He looked up and scrambled back in alarm. There was Ren, staring at him in curiosity. She cocked her head in surprise before beginning to giggle.

"Daiichi . . . so clumsy!" Ren smiled and rolled her eyes. She extended a hand to help.

"Thanks," Daiichi said gratefully. He took her hand, and she pulled the boy up. Before Daiichi was back on his feet, however, he slipped again, bringing Ren down with him. Daiichi shook his bangs out of his eyes. He blushed a deep crimson when he realized Ren was on top of him.

Ren picked herself up and got into a sitting position. She rubbed her right elbow. She looked at Daiichi concernedly and asked, "Alright?"

"I've had better days," he groaned and sat up himself. Daiichi rubbed his head and glanced at Ren. His breath caught in his chest. The boy stared at his friend, ignoring the sullen janitor that was ordering the kids to get to class.

_Yep, that's definitely you're Divine Maiden_, Dark commented casually. _When can I meet her?_

_Just shove it up and be quiet!_ "Uh, Ren. Did you find out if you were going to be busy tonight?" Daiichi asked in a rush. Ren opened her mouth, but then she jumped at the sound of the bell. "Aw, crud! We're tardy! I'm sorry, Ren." Daiichi got up cautiously and helped his friend up as well. "We better hurry."

"Yeah," she agreed softly, looking away.

_She certainly is a girl of many words_, Dark replied sarcastically.

_Don't talk about her like that!_

_Oh, right. I shouldn't make fun of a boy's love._

_No! You shouldn t make fun of a boy's friend! Friend! Will you give it a rest?_

"Daiichi?" Ren asked, half amused, half bemused.

"Uh . . . huh?" Daichii replied stupidly, distracted by Dark's irritating side-remarks.

"Hands . . . ?"

Daiichi glanced down at their hands. He immediately broke free and turned red. Putting a hand behind his head, the boy laughed nervously, "Just wanted to make sure you didn't fall again. Come on. Let's go!" Stepping gingerly, Daiichi walked back to homeroom. Ren stared at him before carefully following Daiichi as well.

* * *

Ren stared at her textbook and listened to her teacher rambling on about some boring math thing. Like any ordianry teen, the girl really wasn't taking it in. She tapped her pencil lightly on her desk as her mind drifted to more important matters. _Something's wrong with me_, she told herself worriedly. _Either I've gone crazy with guilt, or I've just gone crazy! _

Ren shook her head. There it goes again. That naggy voice in the back of her head. You know, the one you always get when you feel like you've done wrong. But this time, it was trying to tell Ren that she _hadn't_ done anything wrong. Also, the thoughts didn't seem like her own. Ren didn't know how to explain it, even to herself, but they seemed . . . different. It sounded like her. It reasoned like her. It _was_ her, but it didn't feel natural. Ren sighed with hopelessness. She wished she could get some advice. She knew the best thing would be to tell someone about her problem, but how was she -- of all people -- supposed to talk about it? It would be hard to make others understand, even Daiichi.

The bell rang. Ren brightened slightly when she realized that it was the last bell of the day, and tomorrow was the weekend. Maybe a little rest and relaxation would clear her head. Ren gathered her stuff and walked home, admiring the perfect, sunny weather.

_The weather _is _rather nice. Maybe you should paint a picture about this wonderful feeling, this wonderful moment. _

Ren actually stopped in confusion at the random thought. _Paint? Why paint? You can enjoy moments without haven't to go all artistic. Lighten up. _

_But why waste the inspiration?_

Ren closed her eyes. It was true. Between reality and her creative soul, she could already imagine the perfect picture to work on. Deep inside, she longed to feel the smooth wood of her paint brushes against her skilled fingers. She wanted to feel that sense of completion she always had when creating worlds, as she called it. Feeling eager, Ren raced home.

The girl practically jumped out of her shoes once inside and hurried to make sure Mr. Mara was alright. He was still feverish. Ren fixed him some soup, made sure the twins weren't causing troubles for the neighbors . . . again, and locked herself in her room. It was dim inside, but Ren did not reach for her light switch. Instead, she flung open her windows so the wonderful sun rays could reach all through her mind. She found her box of paints, strong enthusiasm almost making her drop it. Ren carefully took her unfinished painting of the moonlit garden and placed it on her bed. She took a moment to admire it. _When it's done_, she told herself, _I'm sure everyone's gonna love it. _Ren smiled and chuckled. _Maybe I could even put it in a museum. What if I became so professional that I got an art museum all to myself? I certainly wouldn't let it go to waste like the other one. _

Ren took out another canvas. It was half the size of the garden painting, but that didn't matter. The girl stared at the blankness, envisioning what her new world would look like. She got out a bright yellow and began. A couple of hours later, Ren wasn't even halfway through when she heard her name being called by a hoarse, tired voice.

"Ren! Can you please get me some pills and hot tea?"

The girl jumped up immediately. She hurried down the stairs. While the tea was being made, she looked for Mr. Mara's medicine. _Poor, Mara. Just imagine all the work he will have to make up. He is too busy for his own good. That's probably how he got sick; he's stressed_, Ren reasoned as she brought the items to his room.

Mr. Mara was in bed, watching the news channel in his dark room. Used tissues and cough drop wrappers were scattered all over his many blankets. He let out a hacking cough that made Ren stop to shudder. Mr. Mara turned his head, saw Ren, and smiled weakly. "Thank you, dear child. Oh, if only the twins were as useful as you," he sighed, his voice a little raspy.

Ren quietly walked over to his bed. She set down the tea tray in his lap and handed him his pills. Suddenly, at the words "art museum has been broken into," she spun around to look at the TV, feeling very queasy. Had the police found out that she had done it? "Oh, don't bother with that nonsense," Mr. Mara said before breaking into a series of coughing fits. Ren waited patiently, and curiously, for him to continue. He blew his nose and said, "The Phantom Thief is just up to his usual tricks again."

Thief? Ren echoed blankly.

"Yes. He was also known by Dark." Mr. Mara paused to sneeze. "While I was in college, a thief with jet black wings would often break into a random place and steal some sort of prized art work. He would give the police hints about when and what he would steal as well, just to tick them off . . . and get a numerous amount of fans. It actually made life in this otherwise average town exciting. Then " He snapped his fingers. " The legendary Phantom Thief vanished. No one saw him again. I wonder why he has returned . . . and how he managed to stay looking so young!" Mr. Mara added enviously as the news team provided a close up view of the crafty thief.

Ren stared at the screen, her head cocked slightly in curiosity.

_He's not as nice as he looks._

Ren forced herself not to jump in front of Mr. Mara when that voice rang in her head again. _Only a cruel, heartless man would want to steal something that an artist had worked so hard on. Think about it. What if, say, my moonlight garden turned out to be sensational after all. I put it in a museum so everyone could enjoy it, and then the Dark guy just steals it as if it were his right._

Ren felt a wave of unexpected anger and fear at this. If that person took any of her artwork . . .

_It's said that Dark is a real person, living a real life. It could be totally wrong, but I believe his last name is Niwa._ Ren didn't know how she -- or the thought -- or . . . whatever! -- knew that, but she instantly felt it was correct. She looked back at the picture of the Phantom Thief. His eyes . . . They looked almost . . . familiar.

_Oh this is silly!_ she told herself, shaking her head. _I need to get back to work on my painting, or it will never be finished!_

_

* * *

_

**PREVIEW**

"Maybe that means you should just keep your mouth SHUT FOREVER!!!"

"Almost every guy would be crushing on her . . . if it weren't for her _condition._"

"A person can erase a terrible memory if they try hard enough."

"The only reason Ren could come up with to explain their rage was that they didn't like to hear her talk."

"Whatever brought you two together, I'm sure it saved Ren . . . . . and maybe one day it will save you too.

**LEAVE ME SPEECHLESS**


	7. Leave Me Speechless

**A/N: **_sorry it took a while. i have bad news. the computer that i put all my fanfic stories on was being really screwy, and it completely deleted my dnangel stuff. so it's going to take even longer to update now. (sigh) sorry u guys._

**Disclaimer:**_ (is it really necessary to put these up every chapter?) I don't own DNAngel._

* * *

**_The Next Generation_**

**_Chapter 7_**

**Leave me Speechless**

Daichii slowly opened his eyes. On the far side of his shadowy room, sunlight was creeping through the cracks of his blinds. The boy glanced down at his clock. It read 10:47 A.M. "Ahhhh, what would I do without the weekends?" Daichii sighed, scratching his head absentmindedly. He turned over to his side and just stared at his wall lazily, not wanting to get up just yet. Last night had been another late night for stealing, but at least he could make it up by sleeping in.

_Morning, Sleeping Beauty._

Daichii narrowed his eyes. _Couldn't you save it for later?_

_Question! When _is _later? _Dark asked dryly. _You're never in the mood to listen to me._

_Well, maybe that's just my little way for hinting you should keep your mouth shut FOREVER!_

_Pfft! You know, I'm really starting to miss your dad. You're too much like Riku._

Daichii didn't respond as he jumped down from his bed. He only clenched his teeth and made his way to the bathroom. Daichii turned on the sink at full blast to drown out other thoughts and splashed his face with cold water. When he finally had to turn off the faucet, Dark could be heard again.

_So what are we going to be doing today? _Dark's cheerful tone really bugged the crap out of Daiichi. Removing the towel from his face, the boy glared at his reflection, hoping that Dark could see.

_How about just relax? I've had enough excitement for one week._

_That's just it. You've got practically nothing to do! Ah! I know. How about you ask Ren on a date?_

"Grrrr. JUST SHUT UP!!!" Daichii shouted, clapping his hands to his head.

"Daichii?"

"Huh?" Daichii looked up in confusion, startled at the sudden change of voice. He poked his head out of the bathroom. His grandmother was walking down the hallway, eyes darting back and forth. Once Emiko saw Daichii, she brightened like a light bulb.

"Oh, Daichii! There you are!" she exclaimed like a little girl, gripping him in a tight hug before Daichii could react. Years of aging hadn't lessened the strength in her limbs . . . unfortunately. Daichii was too breathless to speak as his grandmother squeezed him and shook him as if he were a doll. "How long has it been?" she continued. "A decade? A year? A few months?"

"Only . . . a few days," Daichii managed to gasp, feeling dazed.

"This is amazing! This is astounding! The ole' Niwa genes still have some power to them! I still can't believe you're the new Phantom Thief!"

Daisuke appeared from behind the excited woman, smiling almost ruefully. "Uh, Mother, you need to let Daichii go or there definitely won't be another Phantom Thief," Daisuke chuckled sheepishly.

"Eh?" Emiko glanced down at her victim, who was starting to turn blue. "Oh! Sorry, sorry!" She released him, and Daichii fell to his knees, clutching his sides. She smiled again and ruffled her grandson's hair. "So, how does it feel to carry on the family tradition?"

Daichii's eyes burned. "If I could, I'd kill Dark." Both Daisuke and Emiko were at a loss of words as they stared at his bowed head.

* * *

"So, what are you doing here?" Daichii asked at the breakfast table as he helped himself to pancakes. 

"Well, I didn't really have time to chitchat a few nights ago," Emiko explained while she was spreading butter on her own helping, "so I decided to drop by for a visit. I wanted to see how Daichii was doing with his new responsibility . . . and to help your parents out a bit." She flashed Daisuke and Riku a sympathetic look. "They must be terribly confused and overwhelmed, especially Riku."

"Even that," Riku said, rubbing her temples in desperation, "feels like a huge understatement."

Daisuke placed a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder and replied, "We were thinking about looking around town today. Maybe some new painting is causing this and its only temporary."

"Ah, but don't forget to check the old artwork too. You never know." Emiko sighed and stared into her tea. "That's a great place to start. Maybe I'll join you."

"I don't see why everyone thinks this is so terrible," Rikae interrupted with her mouth half-full of syrupy goodness. She swallowed and pointed her fork at her brother. "Daichii's cool points have just soared through the roof! I can already see crazed fangirls drooling over his-- or rather, Dark's-- picture." Rikae threw Daichii a wicked grin that she reserved only for him. "Now it would be even easier to get a girlfriend. Just transform into Dark and any girl will say yes, especially one that goes by the name of Re--"

In a flash, Daichii had grabbed a fistful of his sisters hair and was yanking on it. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Rikae had to bite her lip hard to keep from crying out. She began clawing her brother's arm like a crazed cat. "Let . . . Go . . . Now," she hissed venomously.

"Rikae! Daichii! That's enough!" Riku commanded.

The sibling rivalry paused long enough to glance at Riku's serious face. They glowered at each other one last time before Daichii let Rikae's red hair slip through his fingers. Moving as one, the kids sat down heavily and folded their arms.

"This is why I only had one," Emiko muttered as she sipped her tea. Everyone gave her more or less a look of annoyance. That's when the woman's eyes widened in realization. "DAICHII HAS A _CRUSH_!?!?!?" she exclaimed, squealing with glee on the last word.

Daichii slouched in his seat miserably as Rikae blurted out, " Yeah, yeah! It's this skinny, pale girl with sparkly blue eyes and light blue hair. Almost every guy would be crushing on her . . . if it weren't for her _condition._"

"Condition?" Emiko echoed blankly.

Rikae nodded enthusiastically. "Mmm-hmm. You see, it's hard for her to talk much. Daichii says it's because her parents' deaths were so traumatizing, but everyone else figures it's just because she's retarded and mentally chall--"

"YOU'RE WRONG!"

Everyone jumped at the sound of Daichii's fists slamming against the table. Taking the cue, Riku scolded, "Rikae, that's a horrible thing for a young lady to say. Yes, Ren has had a very bad past. It's common for orphans to hold painful memories. You shouldn't--" Riku fell silent when Daichii stood up abruptly. "And where are _you_ going?" his mother sighed in exasperation.

"Out," came the gruff reply before Daichii stormed out and slammed the door.

* * *

Daichii strode through the streets, feeling his anger come off him in red waves. Man, was he steamed! After a while, Dark broke the silence by asking, _Was what Riku said true? Is that Mara girl really an orphan? _Dark's voice was soft, gentle . . . not anything like it usually was. 

_Yeah. So what? _Daichii retorted.

_. . . What happened to her?_

Daichii actually stopped in his tracks. In the middle of road. In the middle of swirling emotions. His eyes were lowered at the ground, but he saw through the asphalt, through the past. _She won't even tell _me _that. Truth is, I think she forgot. A person can erase a terrible memory if they try hard enough. _

_Why is Ren so quiet?_

Dark was treading on treacherous ice. Daichii could feel him edging out towards the danger zone. The boy didn't feel comfortable at all with this subject, but he surprised himself by spilling everything out to Dark.

_I only know so much, what others have told me. But it's more than what the other idiots know, _Daichii added bitterly. The sound of an approaching car nudged him out of his thoughts. Daichii hurried out of the road before daring to continue. _Ren was hysterical and emotional when the police finally found her. No matter how hard the police tried to calm her, she wouldn't tell them what had happened. She was too scared. Everyone tried to tell her that she'd be safer -- that everyone would be safer -- if she told them who murdered her parents. For some reason though, she just couldn't. _

_Ren was put into an orphanage. All the time, everyday, she was questioned about what had happened that night. The police grew angry whenever she refused them, and this bewildered her. Everyone became impatient with the girl. There was a murderer out on the loose with a number of kills to his name, but he couldn't be caught all because one little girl wouldn't open her mouth. Ren knew they desperately needed the information, but she couldn't relive that horrible memory. Since it was the only thing that would make them happy, Ren never spoke again. _

Daichii recalled the day when he first met the frail, pathetic looking girl. _Eventually, she was adopted by Mr. Mara. Mara knew what it was like to lose your loved ones, so he felt bad for her. Ren, however, thought Mara only gave her a home because he was going to question her too. It had happened before. Trusting no one, Ren shut out everyone else from her world. She wouldn't eat, wouldn't talk, wouldn't play with other kids her age. She would spend long days locked up in her room, forcing herself to forget so she would never be able to tell anyone, so she would never be able to remember the truth._

_Did you become her friend because you pitied her? _Dark asked abruptly, but he had wandered too far. The thin ice broke, the tiny pieces sparkling in the sunlight.

Daichii lowered his head. _I don't want to talk about this anymore._

_I just want--_

_No. I'm done, _Daichii replied firmly.

Dark was silent for a long time. After a while, he began, _Whatever brought you together--_ Daichii's head flew up, and he stood up. His feet had carried him all the way to the Mara house without him realizing it. --_I'm sure it saved Ren-- _Daichii gazed uncertainly at the dirt path leading up to the front door. _--And one day-- _Hesistating every few steps, Daichii made it to the porch. Daichii took a deep breath and knocked on the door. _--I bet it will save you too._

The door opened slowly.

* * *

**PREVIEW**

"If they see me like this--!"

"And Ren? You've got a big spot of orange paint right there."

"Who cares about that dumb old thing? I want to see Daichii!"

"Want me to give a demonstration on what to do when you're around cute girls?"

"Don't worry. Don't worry. She's not my type."

**ALL ABOUT THE LOOK**


	8. All About the Look

**A/N: **_okay. so i have to go out of town for a week-long dance competion soon, and until then i'm going to be drowning under dance rehearsals. so i'm not going to be updating for a while. srry. i promise to pull up a new chapter as soon as it's over._

_oh, and if the dialogue ever seems slow or boring, it's just because i was trying to make ren and daichii's afternoon a little awkward. i tried not to make it TOO dull._

**Disclaimer: **_dude, i'm an otaku. i've gone broke from buying manga and how to draw anime books. how could i afford an anime series?_

* * *

**_The Next Generation_**

**_Chapter 8_**

**All About the Look**

Ren ignored the first knock at the door. _So . . . close! Must . . . finish! _The girl thought to herself, sticking her tongue out in concentration. Besides, the twins could get it, right? They _were _closer to the front door, right?

"REN! SOMEONE'S AT THE DOOR!!!" two voices shouted from below.

Ren set down her paintbrush in a huff and rushed out of her room. As she was hurrying down her stairs, she realized just how horrible she must look. She had stayed up half the night and most of the morning to paint her latest project. She was still wearing her school clothes from yesterday, being too tired to change. Her blue hair hung loosely, unruly bangs dancing in her eyes. Ren glanced down and noticed there were bright paint blobs on her hands. Who knows where else the spots might be!

_Oh man! _Ren worried as she slid across the wooden floors in her socks. _What if it's someone from Mara's work?!? If he sees me like this . . . !_

With great reluctance, Ren opened the front door and flung herself over in a bow. "Good morning . . . Mara . . . is still sick . . . Please . . . come inside," Ren greeted politely.

"Uhh . . . ?"

When she looked up, Ren saw not the face of a strict businessman, but a confused boy. She snapped her back straight and stuttered in surprise, "D-D-Daichi!?!"

"Yo," Daichii replied, still a bit bemused. "Er, expecting someone else?"

"N-no," Ren answered. It was hard to ignore the way those brown eyes took in her appearance. "So . . ."

"Oh! I was just out for a walk and . . . well, you never did tell me if you wanted to go out for dinner, so I was wondering if you wanted to hang out."

Ren's eyes widened in apology. She had never realized that she forgot to tell Daichii about what was going on. Looking away, she explained, "Mara's sick."

"Yeah, I heard you when you opened the door," Daichii sighed wistfully, jamming his hands in his pockets. "So I guess you're busy?"

Ren only nodded. Her friend laughed, a little helplessly.

"Dang. Taking care of Mara AND the twins. That's gotta be a pain. Need me to get you guys something from the store?"

Ren leaned against the door frame and shook her head hollowly. Suddenly, she was overcome by a strange desire to invite him to stay, just so she could have someone to talk to-- or rather, someone to talk to her. _But I can't do that. I don't want to ruin his weekend._

Daichii stretched and let out a breath of defeat. "Alright. I guess I'll just have to bug Rikae for entertainment. See you later. Ah! And Ren?" After he jumped down the porch steps, Daichii turned around with an amused glint in his eye. Ren raised an eyebrow when he touched his nose. "You have a splotch of orange paint on you right there."

"EH!?!?!?" Ren started scrubbing at her face. Her skin burned in shame under her touch. She could practically hear the boy grinning widely.

"Bye, Ren!" Daichii called cheerfully.

Ren stopped scrubbing to watch him walk away. The front door seemed ten times heavier than normal as Ren struggled to close it. The lock clicked into place, a melancholy noise. "Bye . . . Daichii," Ren whispered. She trudged back upstairs to finish the final touches to her painting. Somehow, it didn't seem as important anymore. However, before she had entered the haven of her room, a voice drifted down from the hallway.

"Who was at the door, Ren?"

The renewed strength in the sound had to make Ren smile softly. She wandered into Mr. Mara's bedroom and said, "Daichii."

Mr. Mara was sitting up straight, propped up by fluffy pillows while he drank orange juice. Sheets of newspaper had replaced the mountain of tissues. The TV was on, but it was turned down low. The man glanced at his daughter out of the corner of his eye while he finished his drink. "Daichii? Why would that boy come over here so--" Mr. Mara set down his glass when the answer hit him. "Oh, Ren. Daichii probably came over to see if you could finally come out of this prison. I'm sorry. This whole "sick" thing must be cutting into all your plans. I bet you're slowly going crazy!"

Ren shook her head wildly and held her foster father's hand in reassurance. She fished up a smile to show him everything was alright. Mara just flicked her hand away.

"No, no. You've been wanting to go outside and you know it. Listen, Ren. I've been feeling much better lately. I'm sure I can handle a few hours alone. And in extreme emergencies, I always have the twins . . . I think. Go have some fun for once."

Ren was still gazing at the man worriedly. Mr. Mara frowned and said, "Good grief, child! You're hopeless! This is the strangest command I have ever given. You are to get ready and hang out with your friends like a normal teenager or else. No 'buts.' Got it?"

Ren cocked her head and stared at him, startled. Mr. Mara's watch beeped the hour in the silence that followed. Then the girl smiled gratefully. "Thank . . . you," she whispered before leaning in to kiss the man on the forehead. The race against the clock had begun.

After about eight minutes of rushing around, Ren was almost ready. She had washed her face, (though she hadn't completely gotten all the paint marks off her hands and arms) pulled her hair back into a ponytail, (though she never actually combed out the tangles) and jumped into some clean clothes. (though she never actually ironed them) Pretty much record time for a girl to get ready, right? Right now, she was screwing on the tops to her paints in a hurry so they wouldn't dry out.

_But what about the painting?!? _the voice cried.

_Who cares about that dumb old thing? _Ren shouted back as she stuffed her feet in her shoes at the entrance. _There's plenty of time to finish it later. I want to see Daichii!_

Ren hopped on her bike and flew down the sidewalks. Her eyes darted back and forth, searching for the familiar splash of pinkish-red. _Come on, Daichii! Where are you? _She rounded a corner while looking the other way. When her attention finally drifted back to center, her stomach flipped. _KRUUUDDD!!!!!_

Ren slammed on brakes. Hearing the noise, a bored looking teen turned around and let his mouth fall open. He shielded his face with his arms and yelled, "REN!"

"Yes?" the girl replied calmly.

Heart pounding, Daichii lowered his arms. The blue-gray bike had stopped centimeters away from him. The blue-haired beauty was leaning on her handlebars, her pale skin turning pink in embarrassment. Daichii gaped wordlessly at her before narrowing his eyes. "Jeez, Ren! I only said it was _one little _spot of paint. You don't have to run me over for it!"

Ren giggled and cocked her head happily. "Oops?"

* * *

"So, what made you change your mind?" 

Ren was walking her bike next to Daichii. His question made her glance at him. _Even on a bike, _she reasoned to herself, _I shouldn't have found Daichii this close to my house. He shouldn't been much farther on. _The girl raised an eyebrow. _Does that mean he hesitated or doubled back? Was he secretly hoping I'd change my mind?_

"Earth to Ren!"

A waving hand brought Ren's drifting thoughts to a hault. She blinked twice and answered, "Eh? Um . . . Mara."

_Ughhh. This is such a boring conversation, _Dark complained.

Daichii nodded in understanding. "Makes sense. He's a really nice guy. You're lucky to have him as a father."

"Not . . . really."

_You have her all alone! Make a move already. Just do something!_

"Huh. Why's that?" Daichii asked curiously, trying his best to ignore the pest inside him.

_Daichii, you have officially failed at life. _

_SHUDDAP!_

Ren made a face. "Means . . . I have twins . . . as brothers."

Daichii laughed. "Yeah, I guess nothing in life is perfect."

Ren didn't see how she had been funny. She was just being honest. But seeing the boy so relaxed and happy, she had to smile. _I've been noticing that Daichii gets a little moody sometimes, but I really like _this _Daichii. It's no wonder he's so popular._

In the midst of his laughter, Daichii caught Ren smiling. His laughter died down to chuckles. It was a very . . . cute smile. His chuckles stopped completely. Too cute. He swallowed as an uneasy feeling settled at the bottom of his stomach.

_Finally! It's time for a little action. Want me to give a demonstration on what to do when you're around cute girls?_

_What!_

Daichii couldn't breathe any more. He stopped and sank to his knees. Ren whirled around in panic and dropped her bike. "Daichii?"

A sharp pang went through Daichii. He clenched his teeth and held his sides. _Dark, no!_

_It won't hurt so much if you just surrender to the transformation. Jeez._

Ren crouched down and felt his forehead. "What's wrong?" she gasped. She cupped his face in her hands. "Daichii!"

Daichii met her eyes weakly. _No. No. Don't _touch _me!_

Daichii pushed past Ren and dashed into the nearest backyard. Ren fell back on the sidewalk painfully. Daichii jumped into the neighbor's "garden" of thick weeds just as he transformed. Relief passed over him, but not for long.

_DARK!! What have you done!?! _Daichii hissed.

_What? I didn't do anything. _Dark casually flicked a spider off his shoulder. _You know, you should be a lot gentler to girls. It's only polite._

_Huh?!? I knocked Ren over! I have to go see that she's okay! No wait! _Daichii changed his mind as Dark began to crawl out of the jungle of weeds. _STAY . . . THERE._

_So I guess you don't want me to greet her with a kiss? _

_DO THAT AND I'LL KILL YOU! _

_Don't worry. Don't worry. She's not my type anyway. _A bunch of dandylion seeds flew up and made Dark sneeze. _Can we at least get out of here? No self-respecting phantom thief should have to hide like this._

_But Ren . . . !_

_You want me to go check on her, right?_

_Just stay out of sight, okay? _Daichii pleaded.

_Yeah, yeah. Do you really think I want to attract fangirls?_

Dark cautiously crawled out of the weeds. Back to the house wall, Dark edged back to the front yard where they had left Ren. He peeked out from the corner . . . and then jumped out completely. "Uh oh," Dark whispered.

_WHERE'D REN GO?!!? _Daichii yelled.

* * *

**PREVIEW**

"For there was Ren's bike lying abandoned on the sidewalk corner, but no one else was in sight."

"Who are you?"

"I'll take care of her. Just go!"

"Really? Maybe I'll see you at school."

"Class. We have a new transfer student. Ronin."

"Take my advice. Forget about her. She only ever talks to that Niwa kid."

**THE NEW KID**


	9. The New Kid

**A/N: **_ok, so i managed to fit in one chapter before i left, but i'm leaving tomorrow. the next time you see me should be . . . errr . . . in about a week and a half or so. see ya later_

_hurrah! i'm so happy with all of the favorites and alerts i've gotten. when i first started this story, i was afraid no one liked it. now i at least know that there's SOMEONE occasionally glancing at it. still, i wouldn't mind a few reviews. the way people are so silent scares me. (shivers)_

_oh, and just so you guys aren't like "what the freak?" i just want to say that, supposedly, most people in japan leave their doors unlocked. i read it out of this japanese book. so, instead of knocking on the door, visitors will sometimes just walk right in and say "Gomen kudasai" which means "Excuse me" or "May I come in." you'll see what I mean in a second. it was a nit-picky thing, but it was bugging me. just wanted to make sure you knew._

_and this has got to be the longest author's note i've ever written. sigh_

**Disclaimer: **I'd love to spend time chatting about the animes I don't own and why, but my mom's calling me to start packing now. ; )

_

* * *

_

**_The Next Generation_**

**_Chapter 9_**

**The New Kid**

Ren got up, wincing. Her left arm was scraped up. Both her hands had shallow cuts. She didn't feel them though. Ren only cared about where Daichii had gone. _Why'd he push me like that? Wait, is he in serious trouble? Did he run into someone's house for help? _Her eyes grew twice their size. _I have to find him! _The girl ran up to the front door of the house Ren thought Daichii had gone into and flung open the door. She gasped out, "Excuse me! . . . My friend . . . must help!"

The shocked head of a young boy popped out from the hallway. "Who are you?" he asked curiously.

"Daichii's . . . in trouble! . . . Where--?"

"Trouble?" the boy exclaimed, hurrying over to her. For seemingly no reason, he took her hands in his. "What's going on?"

The boy was a little taller than Ren. He was around her age, but she didn't recognize him for some reason. Pushing that thought aside, she continued breathless, "My friend . . . something's wrong! . . . Is he . . . here?"

"Nobody but you came inside."

A thought struck Ren. "Might be . . . outside."

The boy nodded and called to someone in the other room. "Uncle! Check the backyard. I think someone's hurt."

"Who's at the door?"

"I'll take care of her. Just go!" the boy shouted.

"I don't know . . . what happened! . . . he couldn't breathe . . . turned red . . . like he was struggling," Ren explained in a rush, feeling her vision swim.

"Shhh. It's alright," the boy whispered soothingly. "We'll find him." He let go of her hands and discovered small blood stains on his palms. "What happened to you two?" he asked as he examined her hands. "Ah. That's alright. You don't have to explain if you don't want to. Here. Follow me. The cuts aren't deep, but it'd be better to clean them up."

The boy took her to the bathroom. He rummaged through the mirror cabinet before glancing at Ren. "Feel free to sit on the sink. I don't mind." Ren obeyed wordlessly as she waited for him to find the first aid kit. While he began dabbing iodine on her cuts, he said, "My name's Ronin."

"Ren." She was starting to take deep breaths to calm down.

"Me and my uncle just moved here a few days ago." Ronin smiled softly at Ren. "I guess we have great timing, huh?"

Ren didn't answer. Instead she stared out of the bathroom window.

"Don't worry. He'll be okay. How old are you?"

"13 . . . almost . . . 14," she muttered distractedly.

"Really? Maybe I'll see you at school." Ronin casually reached for two bandaids in the kit.

Daichii was suddenly knocked out of her mind. Ren gazed down at Ronin. He had shaggy auburn hair and long bangs. His eyes were a dark brown. Ronin wore baggy dark green shorts and a black tanktop. The boy probably could've passed as the cool, mysterious type that really intimitated Ren . . . if it wasn't for his friendly grin that reminded her of someone. A flush creeped across Ren's cheeks. Yes, the boy was far from intimitating. He was actually kind of--

Ren shook her head and jumped down from the sink. "Thank you," she said, bowing.

"No problem, Ren," Ronin chuckled.

The two teens looked up when Ronin's uncle appeared. "I'm sorry, little lady," the short, slightly balding man explained. "I couldn't find anyone. Are you sure your friend came over here?"

Ren's worries washed over her again. She nodded silently, looking away. Ronin and his uncle exchanged glances before the boy offered, "Why don't you call his house? Maybe he went back there when he couldn't find you?"

"But . . . he was . . ." Ren trailed off in concern. She clenched her hands into fists, and immediately regretted it because of the pain from her cuts. "Right," she replied in defeat. "Phone . . . please."

"I'll go make some tea. You look like you could use some." Ronin's uncle gazed at the still shaken girl sympathetically before disappearing into the kitchen.

Ronin guided her to the main room. Ren spotted the phone right away. Her finger was in mid-dial when she heard the boy exclaim, "What the--?!?"

Ren lowered the phone from her ear. Ronin looked pale, as if he had seen a ghost outside the front windows. Then his face began to harden, his eyes lighting with a strange emotion Ren couldn't indentify. "Ronin?"

Her small voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Ronin shook his head and walked away from the window. "N-never mind. I thought I saw something." But Ren could see the way his eyes kept darting back to the glass pane. She walked over and peered outside. The streets were deserted, empty of anything except a couple of squirrels playing around her bike.

"My . . . bike!" Ren said, rushing outside to move it so no bratty little kid would think of stealing it. "Ronin . . . can I . . . ?"

"Sure. Bring it around the backyard," his voice called from inside.

Ren nodded and walked it over there. That's when it occurred to her how nice Ronin and his family was being. After all, she was a complete stranger who had burst into their house. They could have kicked her out the minute they saw her. She glanced at her colorful bandaids. Another blush found its way to her face as she pulled her hands close.

* * *

"No. I'm afraid he's not -- Oh wait! I think I see him coming up the road!" Riku exclaimed into the telephone. She hurried out the front door and raised her voice. "DAICHII! GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE!" 

The weary looking teen lifted his head and sighed when he saw his mom drawing the attention of the whole neighborhood. _I so don't need this right now. _"Yes, Mom?" Daichii asked, jogging up to her. Without warning, he was seized by his mother's frenzied grabbing and groping. "WAHH!"

"Daichii! Daichii!! Are you alright? Ren said you went into some kind of fit or something! How are you feeling?! Were you cursed by some kind of artwork? Is some magic affecting you?!?!"

"Mom, I'm fine!" Daichii complained irritably, breaking free from her grasp. "Do you have to do this in front of the whole world?!"

Riku glanced at the neighboring houses and dragged her son inside. "So what happened?"

"Dark wanted to transform in front of Ren, but I wouldn't let him, so things got a little . . ." the boy's eyes darkened.

"That's a relief. Ren made it sound like you had died or something."

"Ren!" Daichii gasped, remembering what happened. Daichii snatched the phone away from his mother and said, "Hello?"

" . . . Daichii?" came the small voice on the other line.

"Ren! Oh man! I'm so sorry I left you. You see . . . something happened, and--" Daichii struggled to find an explanation.

"Don't!" Ren suddenly exclaimed, sounding stronger than she normally did. "Don't ever . . . scare me! . . . Ever again!"

Her sharp command startled Daichii. He was rendered into a helpless silence for a while. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair and began, "I know, Ren. It won't happen again. I just panicked, okay? I promise I won't leave you alone again."

"Alone? . . . Daichii--" The boy could almost picture his friend shaking her head in the pause that followed. "I . . . Daichii, I . . . was worried. You looked like . . ."

Ren trailed off. Daichii felt his heart flutter, but he knew Ren was starting to feel awkward on the phone. "How about we finish this conversation at school?" he asked softly.

"Y-yeah," Ren agreed quietly.

"Bye, Ren. And thanks. Thanks for worrying about me."

Daichii hung up the phone and allowed himself to smile a little.

_See? It wasn't all that bad, _Dark interrupted.

Daichii's smile vanished, replaced by a scowl. _Yeah right. You could have ruined everything! _Daichii spat, but Dark knew he shouldn't take the boy seriously. He could hear the thoughts racing and leaping through Daichii's head.

* * *

"Morning, Ren!" 

Ren raised her head from her quick sketching and saw Daichii. "Hi."

"What you got there?" he asked, bending down closer to her desk.

"Just . . . practicing," Ren explained modestly while holding up her pocket sized sketchbook. Since her sunny painting had been finished over the weekend, she had been doodling a new idea for her next project. Well, maybe doodling doesn't really give her picture justice.

"Wow. This is amazing," Daichii complemented as he took it. "It looks like a mobile, am I right?"

Ren nodded cheerfully.

"So, have you made anything else recently?"

"Yeah . . . I--"

"Class," their homeroom teacher interrupted. Daichii set down Ren's sketchbook and looked up. "We have a new student today. I want you all to make sure that Takahashi Ronin feels welcome here."

"Ronin!" Ren gasped quietly.

Daichii glanced down at her. "What? You know him? Is he a relative?" he muttered so only his friend could hear.

"No . . . he's--"

A boy with shaggy hair walked in. His dark, clever eyes swept over the classroom, studying everyone curiously. For no real reason, Daichii felt himself sink and slowly drown in apprehension. It might have been because those cunning eyes lingered on Ren and Daichii the longest.

The class got up to welcome Takahashi one by one. Ren took time standing up from her seat. Daichii scanned her up and down. _Am I imagining things--_ Daichii thought through narrowed eyes_ --or is Ren acting really shy all of a sudden? Wait a second! Is she starting to turn pink?!!_

Daichii watched in confusion as Takahashi and Ren made eye contact. Takahashi broke away from the rest of the class and made a beeline straight for her. "Hey, Ren. How are you're hands doing?"

Ren held up her hands, now free from the bandaids. "Fine."

"That's good."

"Uh, sorry for butting in," Daichii replied awkwardly, waving his hands, "but, have you two met before?"

"Ronin . . . helped me . . . when you disappeared, " Ren explained, not meeting his eyes.

Daichii felt like he had just been slapped. Inside, he did an anime styled fall back. _When I left Ren alone, she hung out with a stranger's family?!?! _His apprehension immediately switched to guilt. _Hang on! She called him Ronin! And he called her Ren!! They're good friends? Just like that?_

"Well nice seeing you, Takahashi. I'm a friend of Ren's," Daichii introduced, holding out a hand.

"Where you the friend Ren was talking so much about? The one who nearly passed out before pushing her down?" Takahashi had asked nice enough, but there was a certain glint in his eyes that Daichii didn't like.

No one moved in the awkward pause that followed. Daichii's hand flopped back to his side. He was starting to get a little pissed. "Something just happened. I felt dizzy and like I couldn't breathe."

"Well, it has be really hot lately. Is the weather always like this?" Takahashi asked, pointedly turning away from Daichii and asking Ren instead. "This uniform doesn't really help either."

Ren shook her head. "No . . . normally is . . . cooler . . . in the fall."

_Hello? Do I no longer exist?_ Daichii thought sullenly as Takahashi continued the conversation with Ren . . . and without him.

Homeroom ended. While Takahashi was grabbing his bookbag, the class president, Sato Hatori, walked up to him. "Takahashi, would you like me to show you around? Give you the grand tour?"

"Sure. I'd like that," Takahashi said, but he wasn't looking at the class president. Sato followed his gaze until he spotted Ren.

"Ohhh. Already checking out the girls, huh? I'll have to admit. There aren't many that look like Mara, but she's not very social. Take my advice. Forget about her. She only ever talks to that Niwa kid anyway. You'll probably never get the time of day from her."

"You'd be surprised," Takahashi replied slyly. His eyes switched over to Daichii. "Niwa, huh?" he mumbled to himself.

* * *

**PREVIEW**

"I don't think the temperatures have ever been this high. Normally, the cool winds would be driving you crazy this late in the fall."

"Aww! You're worried about me? That's just so _sweet._"

"Maybe it's just a little competition. Boys can get so competitive. Like it really matters."

"It . . . really is hot . . . isn't it?"

"See you at the finish . . . Well, if school isn't already over by then."

**THE HEAT BETWEEN TWO RIVALS**


	10. The Heat Between Two Rivals

**A/N:**_ yes! i am finally back from my tiring dance competetion. it was a little depressing at how little reviews were waiting for me in my emails, (hint hint) but beggers can't be choosers i guess. still, i really would like more reviews. and i would prefer ones with strong, helpful critism. apparently i need to make some improvements so my fanfic is more popular. (sad face) i don't care if you just say i spelled "they" wrong, JUST READ AND REVIEW!!!_

**Disclaimer: **_i do not own DNAngel_

* * *

**_The Next Generation_**

**_Chapter 10_**

**The Heat Between Two Rivals**

A young man with messy black hair was bent over his desk, deeply involved with the complex paperwork. The sound of the door opening broke his concentration. The man looked up and adjusted his glasses. "Mara! You're back!"

Mara smiled in the doorway. Shifting his load in his arms so he could shut the door, he greeted, "Good morning, Yamata."

"I was beginning to think you'd never get out of bed!" Yamata exclaimed gratefully. "I'm still so new at this. I thought I was going to go mad with all this paperwork!"

"Well you no longer need to worry, because I'm feeling better than ever!" Mara replied, setting his stuff down on his desk.

Yamata gazed at the rectangular package curiously. "What's that?"

"Oh, this? This is just a present my daughter made for me to celebrate me feeling healthy again. Would you like to see it?" Mara started ripping the brown paper off and held up the painting proudly. It showed a golden wheatfield under a blazing sun.

Yamata whistled. "She sure is amazing! Watch out. Sooner or later you'll never get any peace from art collectors!"

"Here's hoping," Mara chuckled. He wiped his brow and sat down. "But man, if this weather gets much hotter, everywhere is going to look just like this sun."

Yamata nodded his head seriously. "I know what you mean. I don't think temperatures have ever been so high. Normally, the cool winds would be driving you crazy this late in the fall."

"I guess it's not so bad when you're in an air conditioned office," Mara sighed. His eyes traveled over to a picture of Ren and the twins. "But I'm a little worried about Ren. Today, her class is supposed to have a race in gym. It's a 10K. This sun could make someone pass out if they weren't carefull."

* * *

Daichii walked out of the locker room and sighed with relief. It felt so good to be wearing gym clothes instead of the school uniform. He turned a corner in the direction of the field track. _It's too bad it had to get really hot these past few days. _Daichii didn't care that much though. Running was his favorite sport, and as long as he drank a lot of water, the strange weather wouldn't be too much of a problem. Nothing would get in the way of finishing first in his class this year. 

"Daichii!"

Daichii turned around and immediately regretted it. Ren was jogging towards him, wearing one of those irresistible smiles. Her hair was pulled back into a cute bun to keep her cooler. And her clothes! _Why does the girl's gym outfit have to be so formfitting? And could her shorts get any smaller? _Daichii wondered, blushing fiercely.

"Eh?" Ren said when she caught up to him. She peered into his face, getting a little too close for Daichii's liking. "You're red . . . Are you . . . feeling alright?"

"W-what? Of course!" Daichii stammered, staggering back. "It's just hot today. That's all."

"Okay . . ." Her worried expression only made her look cuter. "Don't . . . push it."

"I won't. Don't worry," Daichii laughed, putting a hand behind his head.

"Oi! Ren!"

Daichii and Ren glanced down the hallway. Ren's face brightened. Daichii's eyes darkened. It was Takahashi, waving cheerfully at them.

"Hey, Ren you look great today!" Takahashi said politely, giving Daichii the cold shoulder. "I was wondering, could you maybe show me where the track is? I'm still a little lost."

Ren nodded eagerly, but Daichii held her back. "Hold on. You can't be serious about taking the running test. It's a 10K. It's too hard to do without training . . . unless you want to fail the class."

Takahashi narrowed his eyes coolly. "Aww! You're worried about me? That's so _sweet_," Takahashi responded sarcastically. Daichii felt really pissed when Ren giggled softly. "Anyway, you don't have to be concerned about me. Running's a breeze for me. I do it all the time. Besides, it's _only _a 10K. It's not a marathon."

"You're . . . so . . . confident," Daichii forced out through clench teeth.

"Confidence is key," Takahashi replied.

Ren beamed happily. Before either of the boys could say another word, she grabbed both of their hands and began dragging them outside. "Come on! . . . We . . . can't be late!"

* * *

Ren stretched in between the two boys, a small awkwardness starting to settle inside her. Ronin and Daichii didn't seemed to get along as well as she would have hoped. _I wonder why, _the girl thought to herself. _Daichii's popular enough. It's not like he's anti-social or anything. And Ronin seemed so open and friendly when a stranger busted into his house. It doesn't feel like he would have a problem with making friends. _

Ren sighed and then brightened. _Maybe it's just a little competition. Boys can get so competitive, like it really matters. Hopefully, once they see how good they both are, they will respect each other and become close. That's what I hope anyway. _A crooked smile grew on her face as she saw scenes of the three of them in the cloudless sky. _Hey, a girl can dream._

Ren grabbed her foot behind her to stretch her quads. When she wobbled slightly, someone caught her hand. Ren's head whipped to the right. It was Ronin, smiling softly as he helped her regain her balance. "Careful. You don't want to fall before the race."

"Uh . . . yeah," Ren replied shyly, feeling her skin grow warm where he touched it.

"The girls are about to start. Make sure you are all ready!" the gym teacher anounced.

"Would you like me to get you a cup of water before you go on?" Daichii offered.

"Sure!" the girl answered eagerly. She began fanning herself. "It . . . really is hot . . . huh?"

"Be right back."

Ren watched Daichii's back make its way to the water station. To strike up a conversation, Ronin asked, "You and Daichii seem pretty close. How long have you been friends?"

Ren stared off into space, tapping her chin. "Mmmm . . . don't know," she finally answered after a while. She gave a shrug. "Almost . . . ever since . . . I moved here." A memory of a ball rolling into her yard sped through her mind. Ren looked at her feet, suddenly feeling a lot smaller. "Almost."

"He seems so popular," Ronin remarked. "Daichii must be a special guy if he can take time away from the rest of his buddies to be with you."

Ren followed his gaze. Daichii had been ambushed by Haru, Ai, and all his fangirls at the water station. Ren saw Daichii laugh at something his friend said. A prick of jealousy sparked in her heart. "Yeah . . . I guess," Ren agreed in a low voice, turning her back against Daichii. She was so preoccupied that she didn't notice the small smirk on Ronin's face.

The sound of a splash made Ren and Ronin glance around curiously. Ren spotted where one girl had playfully dumped her cup of water on a boy. The boy spluttered and shook his wet hair like a dog. "I'm going to get you for that!" the boy called after her as the girl dashed off.

The girl spun around, still running, and stuck her tongue out. Because she wasn't looking, she ran straight into Ren. Unprepared, Ren fell back.

"Ren!"

She braced herself for the pavement's impact, but it never came. Water droplets spun into her eyes, and Ren could have sworn that someone was underneath her. As she scrubbed at her eyes, the person sucked in his or her breath sharply. The person dropped Ren and rushed off. She opened her eyes and picked up the flattened paper cup beside her. "Who was . . . ?"

"Are you okay?" Ronin asked, crouching down.

"Did you . . . see . . . ? Who did . . . I crash into?"

Ronin was expressionless as he answered, "I don't know. I still don't remember everyone's names."

Ren frowned worriedly. Ronin helped her up, and she said, "I hope . . . whoever . . . is alright."

* * *

_This . . . can't . . . BE HAPPENING!!!_

Daichii had fled to the cover of the bushes, only he wasn't Daichii anymore.

Dark boredly peered through the bushes to see Ren looking around, possibly for Daichii. "Well, you shouldn't have gotten so close to her," he told Daichii unhelpfully.

_I couldn't just let her fall! _Daichii protested.

"Yeah, yeah. Ever the knight in shining armor." Dark shifted around to examine the other girls in their gym clothes.

_DARK! FOCUS! _Daichii yelled. Then he sighed and massaged his throbbing temples. _Okay, so exactly how do I change back during the day?_

"Well, Option One, you steal something."

_Not going to happen._

"Option Two, you try to force me back inside like you did the other day."

_Yeah, and be dead on my feet before the race even starts. Next._

"The easiest way is to let me have my fun and let the romance gene get triggered."

_But that would mean . . . _Daichii began in horror.

"Let's hope that a celebrity appearance doesn't change Ren's feelings for a certain someone," Dark smirked. He began to stand up.

_STAY . . . WHERE . . . YOU . . . ARE! _The angry stress placed on each word was enough to make Dark sit down again, propping his head up with his elbow.

"We could always sneak into the girl's locker room. That could work too."

_That's even worse, Pervert!!!_

"So I'd say you're stuck in my form for a while," Dark said amusedly.

_I can't miss this race! _Daichii complained. _That will almost assuredly give me a D in P.E. for this semister, and there's also . . ._

Dark's eyes traveled back to the small gap in the bushes. Ren seemed really worried that she couldn't find Daichii anywhere. Someone must have called the girls over to the starting point, because they all began clumping over somewhere. Ren held back, a little unsure. Then Takahashi Ronin came over. Dark couldn't hear the conversation, but the boy said something to make Ren blush and look away coyly. Dark felt his blood begin to boil, or was it Daichii? Takahashi gently tilted Ren's face up and said something else. Dark clenched his teeth as his heartbeat quickened. The boy twirled her around and nudged her towards the starting line. A wave of darkness passed over the phantom thief. Ren walked away, her eyes wide in shock and . . .

"NO!" Daichii shouted, jumping out of the bush.

The gunshot sounded. The girls were off. Daichii started towards them, but stopped when he realized it was useless. Instead, he changed directions to Takahashi. "What was that?" he demanded

Takahashi blinked. "Oh. There you are. Ren was looking for you. The boys race starts five minutes after the girls begin so--"

"Don't change the subject! I saw what you did to Ren and I--"

"You know, it's great and all that you're so overprotective of your friends, but you don't have to worry," Takahashi walked away from Daichii before turning around with a mocking smirk. "You ARE just her friend, right?"

Daichii opened his mouth to say something, but his body froze up. Takahashi nodded. "That's what I thought. See you at the finish . . . Well, if school isn't already over by then."

Takahashi snickered and approached the finish line. Daichii shoved past him roughly and got to the front. Takahashi elbowed him and stood on his right. They both glared at each other.

"Is everyone ready?" the gym teacher boomed. There was a bunch of mumbling as tension filled the breezeless air. "Alright. At the sound of the gunshot. Make sure you follow the flags. One. Two."

Bang!

The boys surged forward. Daichii quickly fell into his usual pace, but then he saw Takahashi inching ahead. He sped up a bit. Takahashi threw a sidelong glance at his rival and pushed forward. Daichii gritted his teeth and went faster. And faster. And faster. And faster until both boys were close to sprinting --a definite mistake when running long distances.

The thick group of boys weedled down to those two as everyone began to figure out that Takahashi and Niwa were to crazy to save their energy and stopped trying to keep up. They didn't say anything -- they were too breathless to -- but their murderous glares said more than words ever could, or dared to. Daichii's legs began to burn instantly, but he fought to ignore it. Sweat poured down Takahashi's forehead, but he just tossed the wet bangs out of his eyes carelessly. The sun beat down silently, mercilessly, until . . .

_Is that the sound of an ambulance? _Daichii wondered wearily.

Takahashi skidded to a stop. Daichii thought it was because he had given up. He was starting to feel a sense of triumph when he saw a girl kneeling on the ground. "Ren!" Daichii gasped out. Did she fall? Was she hurt?

Ren's troubled eyes glanced over her shoulder. Daichii was about to ask what happened when he saw another girl at Ren's knees. She lay unmoving, eyes closed. "Ai?" Daichii whispered, panting heavily as the flashing lights neared closer.

* * *

**PREVIEW**

"So . . . that must mean YOU are the cause of this weather!"

"The water level has dropped. A few have already fallen victim to heat stroke, and many are suffering from dehydration."

"So what you're saying is I'm going to have to scout up and down this oven city until I find where the magic is strongest."

"The Sunny Side? What kind of name is that?"

"OH MY GOSH! IT'S DAAAAARK!!!!!!!!"

**THE SUNNY SIDE**


	11. The Sunny Side

**A/N:**_ sigh. it's about time i posted this chapter. i would've had it sooner, but i got caught up with being one of the finalists competing for space on the town teen newspaper board thingy, and i have to write two essays and do an interview on Tuesday. it sounds lame, but it's a big deal for me, really! and then, there was that annoying twitching problem. it doesn't seem like much, but my eye would just start twitching like crazy after being on the computer for too long, so i had to almost avoid the computer these past few days, which is a big pain in the butt, trust me. anyway, here's the chapter. i'm sorry if the ending was a little lame. i was getting annoyed with this chapter and wanted to finish it quickly._

**Disclaimer: **_I _**TWITCH **_don't own _**TWITCH **_DNAngel _**TWITCH TWITCH! **

_dang it, _**TWITCH **_the eye twitching has _**TWITCH **_come back! AHHHHHHH! I'M GONNA GO CRAZY!_

**TWITCH TWITCH TWITCH**

* * *

**_The Next Generation_**

**_Chapter 11_**

**The Sunny Side**

Daichii blearily opened his eyes and groaned. He was wearing nothing but boxers underneath a thin sheet he had partially kicked aside, but his skin was still sticky with sweat. He carelessly threw a pillow at his alarm clock. It fell off his desk, the annoying buzzing finally over. Daichii rubbed his face wearily, feeling as though his strength had been sapped. _6:30 in the morning! 6:30 in the FREAKIN' morning!!!! Why is it so hot?!?!?_

Ever since the fateful race yesterday morning, the temperatures only seemed to rise. The 10K had been cancelled early due to Ai's collapse. Scratch that, the rest of school had been canceled. Even though he had always thought the cheerleader captain was a bit snobby, Daichii couldn't help but be slightly worried about Ai. What was worse was that it could have been any of them. Takahashi. Himself. Haru . . . Ren.

A pitiful whine distracted Daichii for a moment. He lifted his pile of discarded sheets and discovered the limp form of With. The boy's eyes softened in sympathy. "I guess it's worse for you. You can't take your fur off when it gets too hot."

"Kyuuu . . ." With mumbled in a daze.

"How about I get some water for you?"

Daichii climbed down his bed's ladder, (a feat he normally looked upon with scorn) and trudged downstairs to the kitchen. It was very dim in the house. He didn't see anyone on his little mission. Eyes half-closed, Daichii grabbed a bowl and held it under the faucet.

. . . . an extremely long pause . . . .

_What the heck? _Daichii wondered irritably when it finally occured to him the water wasn't running. Scowling, he turned the sink on full blast. What came out was barely more than a trickle, and it wasn't cool and refreshing at all. Daichii dumped the water and turned off the sink, thinking as hard as the stifling air could allow.

"You having problems with the water too?"

Daichii cast an indifferent glance towards his sister standing in the door. She was wearing a bathrobe, and her red hair was speckled with water droplets. Rikae ran a hand through her wet hair and complained, "I got up extra early so I could get a nice cool shower before anyone else. All I got was warm water." She made a face at the cruel irony. "The one time I'd prefer not to have the bathroom disappear in steam."

"Pretty crazy," Daichii grunted in agreement. Suddenly, realization struck him like lightning. Daichii spun around and clutched the sink. Lifting a shaky figure towards his sister, he stated in horror, "You just said about five sentences . . . _and you didn't insult me in any of them!!!"_

Rikae blinked at her brother and said in a bored voice, "So?"

"So? So!" Daichii paused to think up of something good to say. "So . . . that must mean YOU are the cause of all this weather!"

"What?"

"Yes! You are! Because you're . . . an alien!"

Rikae stared at him in disbelief. "I think this heat has melted my brain. Or maybe I'm still dreaming . . ?" she mumbled in a daze.

She squealed when Daichii had her in a headlock. "Alright! Which planet do you come from? What do you have against the weather! Where'd you put my sister? Have you brainwashed Mom and Dad? I want answers, and I want them now!"

"Daichii? Can you please let go of me?" Rikae sighed.

Surprised, Daichii let his arms slid off her. Rikae shuffled out of the room without another word. Daichii assumed a thoughtful pose. _This heat really is crazy! It's melted away Rikae's brattiness. _Daichii chuckled helplessly. _I hope I'm not next. _

"--peratures for today should reach up to 102 degrees, and it will only get hotter," announced a TV from next door.

"HUH?!?"

Daichii skidded into the living room where Rikae was slumped on the couch, a remote in her idle hands. He collasped to the ground and stared transfixed at the screen, his face inches away from it. The weather man had ditched his suit and tie a long time ago. He was now donned in khaki shorts and a collared shirt, trying to look as professional as possible with sweat running down his face. "There are no clouds in sight, but what's even stranger is that the sun has turned slightly darker and redder these few days. Astronomers are in chaos with this latest discovery. Many schools and businesses are being shut down, but for how long, no one knows."

"Thank gosh. There was no way I was walking out in that heat wave," came the tired mumble from the prone figure on the couch. Daichii tore his eyes from the TV long enough to shush her.

"The water level has dropped. A few have already fallen victim to heat stroke, and many others are suffering from dehydration."

_Like Ai from yesterday, _Daichi thought, getting concerned all over again.

_This can't be natural, _Dark replied, finally starting to stir within Daichii's mind.

Daichii's brow furrowed. _What do you mean? It's like the weather man said. It's just some freak astronomical event . . . right?_

_That, or it could be an artwork._

Daichii's eyes widened, but it made sense. _Do you know which one it is?_

_No. I've never seen this before, but I can definitely sense an ominous magic in the-- _Dark broke off when he saw his host make a weary, dizzy face. _What?_

_So what you're saying is that I'm going to have to scout up and down this oven city until I find where the magic is strongest. _Daichii swayed at the thought and hung his head. _How cruel of you._

Daichii's only answer was a faint snickering.

* * *

Daichii squinted against the glare of the many windows on the tall buildings. It was a dull, opressive looking bussiness, half deserted due to the heat. There wasn't a single person going in or out of its revolving doors. The boy grimaced and shifted his book bag to the other shoulder. He would hate to have to work here. 

His back pack squirmed. Alarmed, Daichii quickly pulled the flap up so a white head could emerge. With panted in the air and relished what little breeze there was. "Sorry, With, but you have to stay in there. I can't have you draw unnecessary attention," Daichii apologized. Daichii glanced back at the building. "Are you sure this is where the magic is the strongest?"

With nodded slowly. Daichii flashed the rabbit a soft smile. "Just a bit longer, With." The boy began petting With's soft head, but immediately drew back his hand at the touch of wet, sticky fur. Grimacing, Daichii wiped his hand on his pants and shut the back pack. Taking a deep breath, the lone figure pushed through the revolving doors.

At least the inside looked a little more welcoming, though it was just as empty. A whoosh of cool air made Daichii's bangs flutter for a moment. A magohany rug with gold geometric designs led right up to a solitary desk. The desk was made with beautiful pine wood and its edges were painted gold. The business's huge, silver logo hung on the wall, and a very stressed and pissed off lady was flipping through a folder underneath it.

Daichii attempted to walk past the front desk towards one of the many hallways, but the secretary looked up from her folder. A suspicious scowl told the boy that she was already starting to see through his nonchallant act. "What are you doing here?" she demanded coldly, looking over her glasses to see the stranger. "Shouldn't kids like you be in school."

Daichii held his ground, struggling to appear as if he did this everyday. "School's been canceled because of the heat. I'm surprised that this place hasn't either. But then, it has always had such great air conditioning. Most of the times it's almost freezing in the offices," Daichii chanced.

The secretary was a bit taking aback. "Y-yes . . . it does often get a bit chilly . . . but it's a necessity with all the computers and three piece suits." Her eyes narrowed again. "So what are you doing here?"

Daichii widened his eyes in fake shock. "You mean you don't remember me? Well, I guess that's to be expected. I don't come here that often anymore now that I'm so busy with school and sports. You know how it is. Anyway, I was just here to see my dad. Mom already left before I got up to go grocery shopping before it got too hot, and since I didn't get the notice that school's out for today, I'm locked out of my house." Daichii shrugged sheepishly. "I needed to ask Dad for his spare house key."

The secretary's fingers starting inching towards the security button. "I don't remember ever seeing you before," she explained slowly, starting to get uneasy.

When she wasn't looking, Daichii stole a discreet glance at her name plate, half hidden behind papers. The boy smiled his biggest, friendliest smile and leaned against the desk. "Come on, you can trust me, Watanabe. It'll just be a quick second. I'll be back here before you know it, and then I want to know how you've been doing since I've last seen you."

It might have been the sound of her name, or it might have been the warm, trusting aura surrounding Daichii. Nevertheless, the Watanabe let her hand slip back to her lap and nodded for Daichii to go. He thanked her and strolled down a random hallway, hoping against hope that it was right and he didn't have to encounter the secretary again.

The hallways were really no different than the entrance room. The floors were covered in rich carpeting. A pair of doors on either side appeared every ten feet. A small, well--trimmed shrub would grow next to the doors. The walls were a dull gray. The only thing breaking the dreary color was the occasional painting. Daichii's head would snap in interest whenever he saw one, but none of the small artworks seemed amazing or unique enough to be the one they were hunting down.

After ten minutes or so, With popped his head out of the bag again. "Is it getting closer?" Daichii asked quietly. Instead of an answer, With jumped down and jogged a little ways. He stopped at a door that looked no different from the others and began sniffing at it. The rabbit sat down with a plop and let out a tiny mewl of satisfaction.

Daichii shuffled over. Gold numbers that read "57" hung below a small window. The blinds had been drawn shut, so Daichii couldn't see inside. However, that could mean that no one was inside. _Then I could just unlock the door, steal the painting now, and get this over with sooner. There would be no need to change into Dark! _Daichii exclaimed happily.

_Hey. I heard that, _Dark muttered offendedly.

Daichii grinned at With and squatted down. "Good job, With!"

"Kyuuu kyu!"

"Now this weather will finally be over!" Daichii began tickling his cute little pet. "As soon as we get home and I take an icy shower, I'm gonna give you three bowls of strawberries as a reward."

With wriggled and squeaked in protest at the sudden tickling. Daichii only laughed, already planning out how he was going to spend the rest of the day as everything returned to normal. That's when the door to room 57 opened. Daichii and With looked up in surprise at the figure standing there.

"M-m-mara!" Daichii gasped.

Mara's brow wrinkled heavily. "Daichii? What are you doing here? Are you skipping school?"

"Uh, no no!" Daichii protested, shaking his head. He scooped up With in his arms and thought quickly. "School's out, so . . . I was wondering if Ren was here!"

_Lame! You couldn't have come up with a lamer excuse, _Dark retorted.

_I used up all my lies on that secretary. Leave me alone!_

"Why would Ren be here?" Mara wondered. "This isn't a place for kids to play."

"Ren wasn't at the house," Daichii explained weakly.

Mara raised an eyebrow, not buying it. Then the man sighed and placed a hand on Daichii's shoulder. "Look. Daichii, you're a nice kid and all, but I don't ever want to see you sneaking around my work place again, you hear me?"

"Y-yes sir," Daichii promised shamefully. Did Mara think he was a bad influence on Ren?

"This is a very important business, and there are even a few meetings in these room going on right now that could change this place's future. You can't just run around and . . ." While Mara went on and on with his lecture, Daichii let his eyes wander into the office. He couldn't see much. The door was half closed. The one thing he did see was a magnificent painting hanging above one of the desks.

_That's the one._

" . . . and . . . Daichii, are you listening to me?"

Daichii's attention returned to the stern face. "Yes, Mara." The boy bowed politely. "You won't ever see me at your work again." _At least you won't after tonight, _Daichii added privately.

* * *

Dark landed gracefully on the roof. "So, this is it?" 

_Yeah. Room 57 on the west hallway. Can't miss it._

Dark glanced around boredly. "Not much security, is there? Heck, there are more fans than policemen."

_That's because they have no idea what you want. "The Sunny Side"? What kind of a name is that?_

"Well! I've never heard of this painting before! It's brand new. Besides, we couldn't get a closer look to see what it was really called."

_Anyway, I'm too hot to really care about the lack of challenge. Just get past the business's watchmen and go._

"Right. With?" The black-winged creature released Dark's back and waited patiently at his master's feet. Dark smirked. "You know what I want."

There was a small burst of purple light. When it was gone, an exact copy of Dark was sitting on the ground, cocking his head in a cute way.

_With can transform? _Daichii asked in amazement as he watched the Dark Double try to scratch his ear with his foot.

"Of course. Didn't I tell you?"

_NO! And it could have helped me out so much too! All those times when I turned into you in public and--_

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get the painting."

With stood up and stretched, getting a feel for his new body. The two Darks slapped hands and jumped off of different sides of the roof.

_So why do you need With's help if security is so low?_

"I've got to make this interesting somehow don't I?"

_Huh? _Daichii wondered as Dark slipped into a window.

* * *

With hesitated behind a corner, his heartbeat quickening at the sight of all those people in the crowd, mainly fan girls. He hugged the jacket closer, pulled his hat down lower, and took a deep breath. Head down, With slowly walked into the crowd. He was almost in the thick center. It was hard not to panic among all the jostles and pushes. He would be found out any second now . . . but that was the plan.

"OH MY GOSH!!!" a girl shrieked behind him. "IT'S DAAAAARK!"

With threw off the cap and dashed out of the crowd. Everyone struggled to chase after him. With headed towards the building, jumping threw the revolving doors. The secretary stood up at the sight of the wide-eyed intruder. "Can I help you?" she asked suspiciously. In mere seconds, the used-to-be quiet room was filled with the delighted squeals of fans. With was drowning in the sea immediately, thinking about how Dark owed him big time for this.

* * *

Dark looked up from the doorknob he was trying to unlock. "Sounds like With made it inside."

_Huh?_

Dark grinned impishly as the lock clicked. "With is leading all the fangirls into the building. I figured the workers here needed a little wake me up."

_Those poor people. I can already picture the way the offices will look in the morning. _

"Exactly."

Daichii rubbed his head as Dark walked in. _Do you have to cause so much trouble for this business? Mara works here too._

Dark stopped at the foot of the painting and pulled out a feather. "This is Mara's office, right? As long as I'm in here, it won't get trashed. Don't worry you're pretty little head about your future father-in-law's workspace."

_Thanks,_ Daichii sighed with relief . . . _Wait, WHAT!!_

The feather, glowing brightly, levitated for a second before launching itself at the painting. Pulses of light illuminated the artwork for a few moments. Daichii watched in awe, but the magic soon ended. The room was dull once more.

Dark took it off the wall. "Alright. It's power has been sealed. With!"

_Like he's going to hear you underneath a pile of crazed girls._

But With did hear Dark. With always answers Dark's call. The breathless familiar flew into the room, its eyes completely dazed. "How'd you like recieving a little attention for once?" Dark smirked. The phantom thief chuckled at With's annoyed growl. "Okay. Mission accomplished. We can go home now."

* * *

**PREVIEW**

"Why? Have you been worried? Is someone developing feelings for another someone?"

"I've always been under the impression that it has been _Best Friends Forever_ from the start. Or should I say, _Love At First Sight_?"

"She's going through one of those, 'cherish the memories' phases."

There was a long rivalry between the families. The Hikari earned glory and fame through their passions. The Niwa stole those passions for their own benefit."

"How can you be friends with your mortal enemy?"

**CHERISH THE MEMORIES**


	12. Cherish the Memories

**A/N:**_ (bawls loudly) how depressing. this is probably going to be my last chapter for this summer. nnggg. i feel like curling up in a corner and being emo for a day._

_well maybe i'm not that depressed._

**Disclaimer:**_ if i owned DNAngel, which i'm not saying i do, IF i owned DNAngel, i'd use it as an excuse to get out of school. "oh, sorry miss frankinchowder. i couldn't do my homework last night because i was too busy writing the second season of DNAngel. i'm sure i'll find time for homework sooner or later, but right now, this is more important!"_

* * *

**_The Next Generation_**

**_Chapter 12_**

**Cherish the Memories**

"It's Monday, and we just HAD to spend it at school," Haru complained, something that would have sounded very weird if one didn't consider what the town had gone through. "And here I was hoping that we'd get another day off too."

"Mmm-hmm," Daichii agreed as he cleaned the blackboard, trying hard not to laugh.

"But man, this weather sure is crazy!" he continued. "I went to bed on Saturday night hot and sweaty. I didn't even sleep on my bed. I just grabbed a pillow and hung out by the air vent. Next thing I know, it's a few hours before dawn and I'm freezing and shaking like a dog!" Haru raised an eyebrow at Daichii's cheshire cat grin. "I mean, did we just imagine the heat wave or something?"

"Definitely strange." Daichii wrapped his jacket around him a little tighter. "Hey, Haru. Are you going to help me with the classroom chores or not?"

Haru leaned against a desk and replied, "Aww, but you're already doing such a good job!"

"Nice try," Daichii said, narrowing his eyes playfully. He chunked the chalk eraser at his friend and moved on to do something else. "You might as well do something. The rest of the class should be coming soon."

Haru quickly got off the desk. "All too right. Wouldn't want them to think I was slacking or something."

"You _were_ slacking."

"I prefer to think of it as a prolonged break," Haru smirked.

"Yeah, yeah." Daichii paused with the daily assignments. He glanced over at Haru and asked, "Have you heard anything about Ai?"

Haru flashed the boy an amused look out of the corner of his eye. "Why? Have you been worried? Is someone developing feelings for another someone?"

"Say that again and I'll break your nose," Daichii muttered through gritted teeth.

Haru laughed and shook his head. "No, not much. It wasn't too serious, whatever she had. Someone said something about major dehydration." Haru lost himself in deep thought for a moment. "Come to think of it, she didn't drink much before the race. Said something about she didn't want to be stuck in the middle of the race and have to pee, because, you know, that would be--"

"_Alright_, I didn't need to know that! Anything else?" Daichii pestered as a few students walked in.

Haru made a face as he thought hard again. "I think I heard a rumor that Ai wasn't going to come to class today, but not because the hospital hasn't released her yet." Haru shrugged. "She's probably using her collapse as an excuse to skip as many school days as possible. At least, that's what I would do."

"The sad thing is, I know that's exactly something you would try to do," Daichii sighed. He finished writing the daily report and looked around wearily. The last phantom thief experience had left him drained, but it was worth it if the weather was finally normal now. Daichii actually kind of prefered the crisp mornings of a coming winter.

The boy's eyes involuntarily shifted to the door as Ren walked in. _'Bout time, _Daichii thought with a small smile, but that smile mutated into an angry scowl when he saw the person who trailed after her. Since Daichii had to be early because of the daily chores, Ren had walked to school with Takahashi.

Joy.

The two were both engaged in a deep conversation. Daichii couldn't hear what Takahashi said, but whatever it was highly amused Ren. She started giggling.

Daichii's blood boiled at the sight of them. What made Takahashi so special? What gave Takahashi the right? What the heck did Takahashi see in Ren?

_The same things you see in Ren, _Dark reminded dryly.

Daichii's shoulders sagged at that. _Do you have to interfer right now? _he asked weakly.

_I'm just saying, so what if somebody else is able to see past her talking problem. Isn't that a good thing? It means Ren won't be as lonely. You can't always be around for her._

_I know, but they just became friends so fast . . . _Daichii's fists tightened as he trailed off.

_Eh? _Dark seemed a little interested. _It wasn't the same for you and Ren? I've always been under the impression that it has always been best friends forever. _Dark grinned wickedly. _Or should I say, love at first sight?_

_WHY WON'T YOU EVER LEAVE ME ALONE!?!_

_Because you're fun to tease. Anyway, if it bugs you that much, just talk to Ren._

_Maybe I will!_

_Fine._

_Fine!_

_Fine._

_FINE!_

"Daichii?"

"Huh?!?!" Daichii exclaimed, jumping back a few feet. His temperature rose in anger at himself, then dropped until his whole body felt frozen. Unconsciously, his feet had carried him all the way to Ren's desk, right in between Ren and Takahashi.

"What's . . . wrong?" Ren asked curiously.

"Yeah, you seem pretty jumpy," Takahashi smirked in amusement, folding his arms.

Daichii was still frozen, appalled at his stupidity. What was he supposed to do to get Takahashi to go away? He couldn't just utter the magic word, "please," and stare out the window with big, hopeful eyes, waiting to see the first flock of pigs soaring through the skies. Daichii laughed awkwardly and placed a hand behind his head, trying to ignore the way Ren was looking at him, like some derranged lint monster that had crawled out of her pencil bag and asked Ren what her favorite color was.

_Since when has she ever given me a look like that? _Daichii thought in alarm. He placed both hands firmly on her desk and looked Ren straight in the eyes.

"Yes?" Ren continued slowly.

"Uh, yeah um." Daichii's head pounded as he searched for an escape. "Do you remember that sketchbook my Dad gave me for my birthday?"

At least Ren wasn't looking at Daichii in that almost freaked-out expression anymore. Of course, complete confusion and bemusement wasn't that much better off. "I . . . I guess."

"Um, could you please move?" Takahashi hissed in Daichii's ear irritably. "Like right now."

"Would you mind giving me art lessons?" Daichii ignored the snickering behind his back. "I mean, since you're just a great artist. I'd love to learn how to do something other than stick figures," Daichii explained in a rush, fighting the blush that was trying to stain his face.

Ren blinked a couple of times. Then, slowly, slowly, a beam started to grow on her face. "Of course!" Ren smiled happily. Her eyes widened, and she looked away in discomfort.

"But?" Daichii muttered, feeling his heart sink.

Ren opened her mouth, but Takahashi pushed Daichii aside and beat her to it. "Don't you remember? She's gonna be busy with an art contest that's coming up soon."

Daichii's hands slipped off her desk. Now it was his turn to feel confused. "Huh? What art contest? Ren hasn't told me about an art contest." _Actually_, _Ren hasn't been telling me much about her home life recently, now that I think about it, _Daichii recalled silently, thoughtfully.

"She's only been working hard on her entry for days now," Ronin told him arrogantly, as if it was Daichii's job to know everything about Ren. Ren nodded her head enthusiastically.

Daichii glanced at his friend questioningly, but then class started, and everyone had to return to their seats. The boy didn't pay much attention that day, however. He kept staring out the window, picturing Ren's face when he had interrupted her conversation, and hoping to dear God that it wasn't because Ronin was influencing her in some way.

* * *

Daichii walked into his house. As he shouted out his arrival, his big yawn told him how much he could use an afternoon of sleeping and being lazy in front of the TV. Figuring it would be more satisfying if he did the later, Daichii grabbed a snack and headed for the living room. 

The TV was currently off, but his father was there, currently absorbed in some book. Daichii collasped on a sofa, propped his feet up, and grabbed the remote. "Do you mind?" he asked his father politely, indicating the TV.

"Go right ahead," Daisuke permitted, not looking up once. "It won't bother me."

Daichii shrugged and pressed the power button. After flipping through the channels and finding nothing but commercials and lame junk, Daichii glanced over at his father, who was starting to smile at the book. "What is that?" the boy asked, scooting close to the edge of the sofa to see better.

"A yearbook." Daisuke closed it smartly and rolled his eyes. "Riku was cleaning, and she found a bunch of photo albums and other stuff. She's going through one of those, 'cherish the memories' phases." Daisuke ran a hand through his hair, an involuntary habit that Daichii often caught himself doing as well. "I swear, almost every hour she comes back with something else for me to see."

The mention of a yearbook made Daichii remember something. "Oh yeah. Not too long ago, Dark said something about wanting to know how one of your old friends are doing. What was the name? Hiwatara? Hewatari?"

"Hiwatari?" Daisuke corrected quietly, the memory slowly dawning on his face. "I've barely heard anything about him. It was hard for us to keep in touch after high school. He moved to another town, and next thing I know, years later, I was informed that he and his family had died. Murdered, actually, was the word I think they had used." Daisuke shook his head. "It's a shame. He may not have always been the most social person, but he was a great friend . . . later on."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know who Krad is?"

Daichii frowned, thinking hard. "I've heard the name before."

"You see, a long time ago, before the Cutural Revolution, there were two families, both interested in art. The Hikari were successful painters. Almost everyone of them was blessed with an amazing gift for art. Then there was us, the Niwas. We were mainly interested in the profit of art, even though we weren't very successful at it. There was a long rivalry between the families. The Hikari earned glory and fame through their passions. The Niwa stole their passions for their own benefit."

"But that makes us seem like we're the bad guys," Daichii interrupted, disliking his heritage and genes more with each passing second.

Daisuke smiled in understanding. "Yes, when you first think about it, stealing is wrong. On the other hand, the Hikari filled their artwork with dark magics that could wreak major chaos upon the city. Neither family was exactly perfect."

Daichii still didn't buy it. He released a sigh. _This is just all the more reason not to transform into Dark._

_Hey! I heard that!_

"Then, one time, the Hikari had just made the 'Black Wings.' During a fight between the two families over the artwork, it split in two, and the magic energies made Dark and Krad. As you know, Dark's magic has been passed down through the line of the Niwa males, fighting for what we always believed in."

"Is Krad the same thing?" Daichii asked.

"Basically, only he keeps alive the Hikari traditions."

"So what does this have to do with your friend Hiwatari?" Daichii questioned impatiently.

His father raised his hands in a "I'm getting there. Don't worry" gesture. "Hiwatari was an orphan, just like your little friend."

"Little?" Daichii scoffed. "I'm not five anymore, thank you."

"And his true last name," Daisuke continued, unphased, "was Hikari."

A lightning bolt shot through Daichii, paralyzing him in silence for a while. "But, you said he was you're friend."

"He was."

"Wasn't he supposed to be your enemy?"

"He was."

Daichii scowled in annoyance. "Which one?"

"Both."

"How can you be friends with your mortal enemy?"

"How indeed," was Daisuke's only reply. He smiled at his son softly.

"Arggg, you're melting my brain! I'm going to relax in my room," Daichii said, getting a little exasperated with his dad's demeanor.

Unfortunately, his room was no more peaceful.

"RIKAE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM!"

Rikae looked up innocently from the book she was examining. She leaned back luxuriously in Daichii's computer chair and said sweetly, "Nothing." Her attention returned to the book and she laughed. "Jeez, Daichii! Have you _ever _been to art class before? These drawings are horrible!"

Daichii flushed in embarrassment when he realized his sister was leafing through his sketchbook. He took a deep breath and asked calmly, "Okay then, could you give it back to me now?"

Rikae glared at the boy suspiciously. "What's that tone for? Are you _hiding _something from me?" She flipped to the next page stopped dead. "Oh . . . my . . . GAWD! Is this supposed to be REN!" Rikae exclaimed in barely concealed mirth. The red head began squirming and laughing uncontrolably. When the sketchbook fell out of her hands, Daichii dove for it and tilted the chair. Rikae dropped to the floor, rolling in the carpet. Daichii immediately ripped the page she had seen into many tiny pieces and tossed them out the window.

"Aww! . . . Why'd you . . . do that?" Rikae gasped out between giggles. "I . . . wanted to post . . . it on the . . . internet!"

"Alright. You had you're fun! Now get out!" Daichii ordered angrily, grabbing his sister by the collar of her shirt and yanking her to her feet.

"Fine, fine. It was worth it," Rikae sighed as the laughter died down. She headed for the door, but then hesitated. "You know, one of your pictures broke," Rikae explained, jerking her thumb towards the glass shards by Daichii's desk.

"I already know that."

"Then why don't you clean up the mess? _Don't want wittle Daichii to cut his itty bitty fwingers._" Rikae stuck her tongue out at her brother and left the room with her nose in the air, misson accomplished.

Eyes narrowed furiously, Daichii dropped to his knees and picked up the glass pieces. He tossed them expertly into his trash can, never missing a single shot. _Why haven't I cleaned this up yet? _he wondered as the anger ebbed away. _This broke the night I first turned into Dark, right?_

The boy tried to pick up the photo, but something fell from the back. Curious, Daichii examined what had been hiding in the frame. It was a flat, metal sun, just about the size of your palm. Daichii smiled, recognizing it instantly. It was Ren's charm. She had given it to him a long time ago for his birthday once. It was girly, yes, but it meant a lot to him when Ren told him that her mother had given it to her. Daichii had refused to accept the charm at first, but Ren had insisted, saying that best friends deserved the best.

_Best friends, huh? _

Daichii remember the way Ren looked at him this morning, and he grimly tucked the charm away in one of his pockets.

* * *

**PREVIEW**

"But last time I checked, my hand seemed a little more human-like."

"You're heart's already racing? You better control it or Ren's going to get to know you real well in the next few seconds. The _other_ you, that is."

"Do . . . do you still have your part of the charm?"

"I've had dreams . . . They were . . . all about . . . you."

"Niwa . . . ?"

**THE SPECIAL TWO**


	13. The Special Two

**A/N: **wow. it's been so long since my last chapter. will there still be any faithful reviewers waiting for me? peers across empty desert wasteland not that i really had any faithful reviewers in the first place. i had a lot of fun with it, maybe because i'm an art student too! kyaa! go DFA! flaming rainbows! (jk! and no i'm not gay) and if you think the blind contour exercise thing was weird, just shove it up because i was pretty proud of that almost fluffy moment. (ok. it wasn't THAT fluffy, but it was special!) enjoy! hopefull it won't take another three months for the next chappie to come out!

**Disclaimer: **do not own this anime. bla bla blaa. do not own this manga. bla bla blaa. do not own much of anything. bla bla blaa.

* * *

**_The Next Generation_**

**_Chapter 13_**

**The Special Two**

Daichii glowered at his paper. "I . . . can't . . . do it!" he hissed slowly.

It had been several weeks since the fateful drought. The heat wave had been reduced to a distant nightmare as the blistering winter weather set in. Some people-- cough, cough, Riku-- were out and about with holiday shopping. Instead of that, (you wouldn't catch Daichii shopping with his mother unless he had been absolutely forced to and dragged most of the way) Daichii was using the fact that teachers were giving out even less homework as an excuse to hang out at Ren's. With the busy scheduale of a Phantom Thief, his father's constant stealth lessons, his mother's constant bagdering on what they should get Aunt Sue for Christmas, and the torture of school, the boy hadn't been to see Ren in forever. Occasionally chatting with her during class changes wasn't enough, especially when he was aware that Takahashi DID have a lot of free time and DID get to hang out with Ren whenever he felt like it.

_Course, if I had known drawing was this frustrating, I would have never suggested Ren giving me lessons in the first place, _Daichii thought dryly. He sighed and tapped his pencil on his sketchbook. The art-impaired student had been there for about an hour, but he showed no signs of improving. Ren had decided to start with drawing hands, since no one's hands were exactly the same. That way, you would have a little freedom as to what you're hand looked like. Plus, it would make you start to pay attention to details and perspective, since you couldn't just copy someone else's work. _But last time I checked, my hand seemed a little more human-like. _Daichii gazed ruefully at his pages of failed hands, all of them resembling that of a frog's. He hug his head hopelessly.

"I'm back," Ren announced in her usual soft voice. She glided through the half-open door smoothly, carrying a small tray and a child-like grin. It was hard to keep a straight, sympathetic face whenever she saw Daichii's "works of art." Ren set down her tray and asked warmly, "Need . . . a break?"

"Yes! Please!" Daichii groaned as he grabbed his steaming cup of tea Ren offered to him

Ren took a sip out of her own cup, popped in her mouth a few of the bite-sized chocolate chip cookies she had brought down, and hovered over Daichii's shoulder. "Mmmm," was her only response for a long time. It seemed like Ren was having trouble with helping Daichii, he was that bad. Of course, it could have just been the fact that she had a hard time conveying her messages into words. She tapped her chin and gazed at her friend in a thoughtful, day-dreamy mannor.

"Run out of advice?" Daichii wondered with a sheepish grin on his face.

Ren stopped tapping. _That's a yes, _Daichii thought, taking a big gulp of his drink. Ren, however, had other ideas. He spluttered and choked on his tea when she suddenly grabbed his free hand and held it tightly in her own. A blush stained the boy's cheeks. "Ren, I . . . uh," he stammered as Ren molded his hand into stretched, "high five" kind of position. Smiling at her cleverness, she lifted her right index finger dramatically and placed it, waiting, just below Daichii's wrist.

"Close . . . your eyes," Ren told him, peering out from behind his hand.

"Why?" Daichii wondered weakly. Thoughts of all the good and bad things that could happen while his eyes were shut whirled in his mind.

_Awww, is someone fantasizing?_

_Please, Dark! Please don't interfer now! _Daichii begged.

_You're heart's already racing? You better control it or Ren's going to get to know you real well in the next few seconds. The _other_ you, that is._

_Come on, Dark! How is this fair?_

_It's going to have to happen at one point anyway._

_But why?_

"I'll trace," Ren explained. She moved her finger slowly up and down Daichii's hand. He fought to control the shivers up his spin. "You follow . . . wherever . . . my finger goes."

"Like this is going to work!" Daichii tried to argue, pulling his hand away from her.

"Come on!" Ren laughed. "Ready?"

Daichii reluctantly returned his hand and readied his pencil on the sketchpad. He stared at her expectantly for a few moments before she cocked an eyebrow. "Eyes?"

Daichii took in a deep, calming breath and obeyed. The world shut off. Everything seemed to hush in interest as Daichii lost himself in the dark. Though he knew he was overexaggerating, he could not help but cling to that one touch, the one thing that kept him from drowning in the black sea. He almost forgot what he was supposed to be doing, and hurriedly began drawing.

It was an odd sensation. Wherever Ren's unhurried finger passed, the skin seemed to tingle, like a path being made. As Daichii followed her blindly, he could clearly see with his mind's eye the hand being traced by Ren, being drawn by him. He didn't dare lift his pencil, didn't dare scratch his itching ear. He was afraid of breaking that calm, soothing connection.

For a while, Daichii sat there waiting, not even knowing he had stopped. Ren's finger certainly hadn't moved from the other side of his wrist. "Daichii," she finally said. Her voice sounded so foriegn after all the crushing quiet. Daichii's slowly lifted his eyelids. The first thing he saw were Ren's bluer than blue eyes. He didn't know why, but he felt like there was something he had to do, something he had been putting off for a long time, completely forgotten. The boy gazed deeper into those eyes, wondering if the answer lied in them.

Out of the edge of his vision, he caught Ren's mouth twitching into a confused smile. "Aren't you . . . going to look?"

Daichii blinked, and whatever questions he had been trying to answer vanished. His hand lowered as he tore his eyes away from her face. This time, his drawing was much different. It still pretty much sucked, but it was good when one considered he had been doing it virtually blind. At least it didn't look like a frog hand anymore.

"Thanks," Daichii replied cheerfully.

Ren grabbed another cookie and leaned back in her chair. "Anytime."

Daichii fell silent as he tried to recall that feeling again, but it was like trying to memorize a really good dream. It slipped out of his hands the harder he tried to grasp it. Unable to figure out exactly what he had wanted to do, Daichii pulled out the charm he had been carrying around with him the past couple of days. "I found this a while back," he explained quietly. "Remember it?"

Ren cupped in her palms, bringing it close to her face. A finger ran across the grooves as her brow wrinkled in concentration. "Friendship charm!" she gasped happily, eyebrows flying up in recognition.

Daichii nodded, smiling. "Do . . . do you still have your part of the charm?"

"Nope!" she responded immediatly, admiring the piece of their history.

Daichii tried to hide how embarrassed he was. Of course she wouldn't still have it. He was stupid for keeping something so girly like that for all these years. Daichii's hand twitched on his knees. Now, he kind of wished he hadn't showed her the charm at all.

Ren caught his slightly disappointed expression. "I still . . . have it," she laughed, giving him a little wink. "I . . . used it . . . It's a part . . . of my mobile." At her friend's blank look, she continued, "The mobile . . . was a little--" Ren paused for a good word. "--personal . . . It was made . . . of many items . . . that symbolized--" Ren flourished her hand in the air, lowering it until she was pointing at herself.

"Oh, I get it." Daichii felt a little better, but he still kind of regretted bringing out the charm. "So . . . when are they supposed to announce the winners of the contest?"

"Mmm . . . few days?" Ren guessed. She gazed at the last dregs of her tea. "You know . . . for . . . a while now . . . I've had dreams." Her hands tightened around the cup. "They were all . . . about you."

For the second time today, fiery liquid scalded his throat as Daichii choked on his tea. "Me?" he asked hoarsely, coughing. The boy would rather die than admit it, but he had been having a lot of dreams of Ren too. Trying not to sound too interested, he asked, "What about?"

"Mostly . . . past memories." A childish light twinkled in her eyes. "Wierd . . . huh?"

"Same here! I keep dreaming about when we first met and other things when we were little." But sometimes, in those dreams a younger verision of Takahashi would steal Ren away so they could play together, far away from the little Niwa. Daichii felt that it would be better to leave that little detail out.

"Last night . . . I saw . . . this." Ren handed Dachii back his half of the charm.

"Really?" Talking about what used to be felt really good. It made Daichii feel more secure, like it would take a whole lot for Takahashi to break their current relationship. The one that had been going strong for so long. Why was he so obsessed about Takahashi? He really was such a small threat afterall. Still, maybe it would be best . . .

"Ren," Daichii began. "There's something . . . I want to talk to you about."

"Yes?" She was so cute when she looked at him like that, with trusting eyes and rapt attention ready to listen to whatever one had to say, even if it was bizairre.

Daichii swallowed. "You see . . . it's about Taka--"

"Sorry if I'm intruding you two," Mr. Mara exclaimed. His voice sounded as if he really didn't care if he just interrupted them, even if it had been something important like a proposal. Actually, probably _especially_ if it was something important like that. Mr. Mara turned to Daichii. "Your mom called. She says that you need to come home soon. She has something for you to do."

Daichii sighed. _Mom and Dad probably have found another work of art they want me to steal._

_In that case, let's go home right away, _Dark responded eagerly.

_Easy for you to say. You actually enjoy this kind of thing._

_Hey, you know that deep down, you kind of like it too. Besides, it's boring listening to such an uneventful conversation. If I were in your place, we would already be--_

_I don't think I even want to _know_ what you would be doing._

Daichii stood up and set his tea cup down. "Okay then. I guess I have to go. Thanks for having me over." Aware of the adult's eyes following him with every step, he calmly walked out and descended the stairs. He passed by the twins, who huddled together in the kitchen.

"With these brownies, our teacher will never have the time to emerge from the toliet to give us work," he heard one of them mumble.

Daichii paused in the door to say, "Don't tell me you're going to slip some choco laxative in a present for your teacher."

He was confronted by two indentical Glares of Death.

Without skipping a beat, he continued, "If you use the laxative, then it will be easy for the teacher to punish you later. Add salt to the top to look like 'powdered sugar,' or fill them with dish detergent as 'caramel.' Then pretend as though you had worked really hard on them and make teary faces when she doesn't like it. She'll feel bad and be forced to eat the whole thing."

The Glares of Death softened into Stares of Admiration. "That's perfect!"

They huddled together again. Daichii left them, whistling happily. _After all, this will ensure that the teacher gets nothing worse than an insane taste in her mouth. Plus, it's always smart to keep on their good side._

Daichii was just about to cross the street when he heard someone call out his name. He was surprised when he saw Ren jogging towards him, waving his sketchbook in her hand. "Oh man. I forgot all about that," Daichii admitted as she handed it over. "Thanks a lot."

Ren was silent as she caught her breath. "Another try?" she asked hopefully when the panting died down.

Daichii rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I don't know. I suck so bad, especially compared to you."

Ren frowned at him and put her hands on her hips. She was telling him that he was being a dork and he should just give it another try. She knew he could do it.

"Alright, alright!" Daichii laughed. "Maybe next week?"

Ren nodded energetically. Daichii started walking again. She matched him step for step. Just like the old days. The inseperable friends. The special two.

"Great." Daichii ran a hand over the cover. "I really hope that I'll get better soon. Hey, maybe we could do something together one day."

Ren smiled and cocked her head, a pleasant agreement.

"And I'm sure Dad would be proud if another Niwa became an artist."

Ren stopped dead. Startled by her response, Daichii glanced back over his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Niwa," she whispered.

"Huh? Uh, yeah?"

"Niwa," Ren repeated a little louder. Her eyes were large, staring at something Daichii couldn't see.

"What? Did you forget that was my last name?" Daichii chuckled a bit. "It's okay. I never call you Mara either. I guess it's easy to forget when we haven't used surnames since we were little."

Ren's head snapped up, as if she just realized that Daichii was there. She took a step backwards, two steps. "Sorry!" she exclaimed as she broke into a run.

"Ah! Wait! Ren, what's going on?!"

But the girl had already disappeared in the house, leaving Daichii standing alone and confused on the corner.

* * *

**PREVIEW**

"He has all the information he needs to steal whatever his heart desires. And it's all . . . your . . . fault."

"Ren? You dreamed about Ren? Why?"

"Think for a sec. It's not as though Daichii is a saint. When given power, a lot of people would abuse it. We are all born inherently evil."

"It seems like everyone's been doing a lot of remembering lately."

"There is no way five people can be having these weird dreams at the same time. Especially if they all deal with the past . . . if they all deal with me . . ."

**REMEMBER YOU, REMEMBER ME**


	14. Remember You, Remember Me

**A/N: **_hmm. so, i was hoping that i could post this chapter before thanksgiving . . . didn't work out. (grins) oh well. at least it hasn't been months since my last update._

_oh, and i apologize in advance if anyone gets confused. i tried to make this chapter as clear as possible. if you have any questions then maybe you could-- oh, i don't know-- review me or something like that. _

**Disclaimer: **. . . . . . . . (wink) . . . . . . . . . .

* * *

**_The Next Generation_**

**_Chapter 14_**

**Remember You, Remember Me**

Lying in the shadows and tangled up in the warm sheets and blankets, Ren lifted her arm from her face and gazed hollowly at the washed-out ceiling. Slanted rays of headlights danced through her room as cars passed. All the artwork and scattered scraps seemed to watch the still figure, shadowy doorways that were locked, blocking the path to her world of chaotic and fluttering emotions. Ren hardly blinked, hardly breathed. It hurt too much.

"Niwa."

The whisper of his name was still lingering on her lips, as if her mouth had frozen in the middle of the word, that terrible word.

_It's said that Dark is a real person, living a real life, _that voice sounded again, a strange, new icy quality to it._ It could be totally wrong, but I believe his last name is Niwa._

Ren clapped her hands to her ears and rolled into a ball on her bed, as if the word had caused her physical pain.

_What? Hard to admit it? _She could almost picture another her, sitting on the other side of the bed, leaning on one arm with a cool, calm smirk etched across her features. The imaginary clone tucked her legs inside the over-sized, baggy T-shirt and said reasonably, _Think for a sec. It's not as though Daichii is a saint. When given power, a lot of people would abuse it. We are all born inherently evil._

_Daichii isn't like that, _Ren defended determinedly. Her eyes narrowed in focus and forced truth. _It could be any Niwa. Any Niwa in the world. But it couldn't be him. Daichii's not like that. He _loves_ art!_

_Ah, but that is the point. He loves art, but he can never make it. _The other Ren examined her nails as if the whole thing was too straightforward and uninteresting for her to really care. _Typical of the Niwa family. Consumed by passion and rage because they are too incompetent to make what they desire. They are failures, never to know the true pleasure in the skill of doing what you love, and doing it well. So what do they do?_

_Stop it._

_They steal, of course, _the other Ren continued, fixing that cold smile on the pathetic lump under the sheets again.

_It's not true._

_And just because you're his friend doesn't mean you'll be safe forever. _The other Ren slowly crawled closer to the real one, like some sort of predator closing in on its hopeless prey. _Sooner or later, Daichii will target you too._

_It's all lies. It's all made up! _Ren shouted, burying her face into the mattress in an effort to ignore the unwanted presence. But that was impossible. The presence WAS herself, and the thoughts raced on in her mind.

_But of course, you've bought yourself some time. Just think of the birthday present you gave him, _it whispered in her ear seductively.

Ren's eyes widened in horror. _No._

_Daichii now has access to all the best artwork in the country. In the world._

_No . . . No. . ._

_He has all the information he needs to steal whatever his heart desires._

_No!_

_And it's all . . . your . . . fault, _the voice reminded, emphasizing each word with cold accusion.

_NOOOOO!_

Ren hit the floor with a thud. She stared at the cream carpeting for a moment, not quite comprehending for a moment. Blank-faced, she dragged her hands across the floor like a blind person. When her fingers reached the blankets that were half on, half falling off her bed, they gently took it and pulled it close to her chest.

_Was it just a dream? _

Ren inhaled deeply the sweet smell of her house, the smell of her room, a smell more familiar and comforting than any other scent or perfume. Then she lowered the blankets from her face and looked up at the solitary ray of moonlight that snuck through the blinds. The dark was cooling and soothing, like an old friend, but some part of Ren reached up to draw the blinds up and welcome more light. The more the better. The girl crawled in the bed-- which now almost seemed spotlit with light from the heavens-- and tried her best to sink in the quiet dreamworld again.

_Niwa . . ._

* * *

Daichii felt a huge yawn escape him for the hundreth time. Haru, noticing this, glanced at his friend while getting out his books for the next class. "Hey, what's wrong with you man?" he asked. "You've been sleeping through the classes even more than usual."

Daichii slapped himself softly. "I didn't get much sleep last night," he groaned. He laid his head against the smooth desk. "You know. Studying for the big history exam we had today?" Actually, Daichii had successfully completed another Phantom Thief Operation. The long nights were really starting to get to him. And those strangely familiar dreams he always had weren't helping either . . .

He heard Ai groan on his other side. "Oh, I know!" she agreed sympathetically. "I studied so hard and I _still_ think I failed the test." Ai paused for a moment before cocking her head flirtatiously and batting her eyelashes. "It's so hard after missing so much school. Could I maybe get together with Daichii one day for tutoring sessions?"

Daichii forced himself not to say anything while a brief flash of annoyance passed over him. Luckily, he didn't have to. Haru beat him to it. "Ai, Ai," he sighed. "That incident happened weeks ago. What does that have to do with the exam?"

The cheerleader's eyes gleamed dangerously. For a moment, Daichii was reminded of his sister. "It has everything to do with it!" Ai insisted angrily. "I missed a big portion of classes when it happened, and I never understood the notes that my friends kept bringing me."

"Then I guess the problem is that you're stupid," Haru teased mischievously.

"Ahhh! Ryu is so mean!" Ai pouted. Daichii rolled his eyes and ignored them as Ai sent Haru a few weak punches at his arm, trying to make him take it back. Haru was laughing and Ai was complaining and Daichii felt himself grow cranky from lack of sleep.

"--hate you! And I'll hate you for the rest of my life. Daichii! Tell him to apologize!" Ai half-pleaded, half-ordered.

Daichii buried his head in his arms and replied in a muffled voice, "Ai . . ."

"Yes?"

"Shutup."

Ai gaped at him.

"You're giving me a headache," Daichii continued as Haru started laughing. He waited until Ai had sat back in her chair and crossed her legs huffily before rounding on Haru too. "And you. You're being a jerk. There? Is everyone happy?"

Haru and Ai glanced at each other over Daichii's bowed head. Haru made a noise and Ai stuck out her tongue childishly.

"Whatever," Haru finally sighed after a while as he leaned back in chair. "It's not like you guys were the only ones without sleep. I had this nightmare last night."

"Hnnn? What was so terrible about it?"

"You were there."

Daichii made a face. "Gee thanks. You're my best friend too."

Haru chuckled. "Okay, okay. So it wasn't a nightmare. But it was weird, like I had seen it before. You know those dreams that you have that seem like it's happened once? It felt like I kept dreaming it over and over, as if it was trying to get me to remember something. The only thing is, whenever I tried to make sense of it, I'd wake up."

"Really?" Daichii replied, starting to get a little curious.

"Deja vu," Ai piped up.

"Yeah. Like deja vu. Anyway, it took place when I was little. You and I were playing catch. Then Ren showed up."

That really grabbed Daichii's attention. He quickly raised his head from the desk. "Ren? You dreamed about Ren? Why?"

Haru shrugged. "I don't know, but it was creepy. She would just watch us, and yet not really see us, right? We would keep telling her to go away, but she would always appear again."

"Talk about unnerving . . ." Daichii said, smiling weakly. Why did that sound so familiar to him too?

"Yeah. It was like she was some kind of stalker. It's always the quiet ones."

"Mmmm."

"I've been having wierd dreams too!" Ai began, trying to get Daichii's attention back to her. "A couple of nights ago, I had this dream about me walking down the street. Though I never turned around, I'd always pass by the same house every few minutes. Sometimes it would look empty, sometimes I would see police cars pulling in or leaving. One time, I even saw this shadowy figure sitting on the porch. Now that I think about it, it had to have been Ren. I'm sure!" The girl wiggled her fingers. "She certainly had the same creepy and quiet aura like Ren." She glanced over at Ren and wrinkled her nose.

"R-right . . . creepy . . ." Daichii agreed unenthusiastically.

Daichii wasn't exactly depressed when the next teacher walked in and class started. As another wave of fuzzy weariness passed over him, the boy found his eyes kept drifting across the room to where Ren sat, with Takahashi right behind her.

_I haven't said anything to her all day, _Daichi mused. _And I really need to talk to her and figure out what time the announcements of the art contest winners are. I'm pretty sure Ren had mentioned something about the fesitival being held this weekend. _

_But it's almost like she's been avoiding me. Ever since yesterday . . ._

_But I don't think I said anything offensive to her. Why did she run? Or maybe she remembered something? _Daichii let out a long breath. _It seems like everyone's been doing a lot of remembering lately. Even Haru and Ai. Those can't have just been normal dreams, right? I feel like I've been in those situations too somehow._

Daichii narrowed his eyes in frustration. He was too tired to be mulling over things so seriously. It just gave him a headache. _We're all just messed up, aren't we?_ The boy thought feebly.

* * *

"I'm home," Daichii called. While he walked inside and slipped off his heavy bookbag, he realized that one of the pairs of shoes were missing.

"Oh! Hello, Daichii!" Riku called, popping her head out from the kitchen.

Daichii pointed at the shoes questioningly. "Where's Dad?"

"You're father's out visiting your grandmother. Would you mind giving me a hand with the dishes?"

Daichii clicked his teeth in exasperation. Visiting his grandmother meant only one thing. Whatever his father had on his mind was something to deal with Dark.

"Yeah, yeah," he sighed, shuffling into the kitchen.

Seeing his visible reluctance, Riku gave her son a look. "Now, now, Daichii," she said sternly. "I've been letting a lot of things slide because of all this Phantom Theif stuff, but that doesn't mean you be let off easy all the time."

"I understand," Daichii mumbled softly. He grabbed a dish and began rinsing it, but not before releasing a huge yawn. Riku's firm expression faded slightly. Her hands dropped from her hips.

"Oh, you're such a wimp!" Riku cooed, wrapping her arms around her son tightly.

The plate almost slipped from Daichii's hands. "Wah! Mom! Not so tight!"

"You can't even handle your mother?" She hugged him tighter and ruffled his hair. "How is such wimp supposed to conquer the police and find true love?!"

"Can't . . . breathe!"

"Suck it up, my little baby. Who needs oxygen anyway?" She teased. Now she was resorting to tickling. Daichii squirmed and wriggling, laughing maniacally. He tossed the plate into the sink wtih a splash before he could drop it. Riku was relentless in her tickle attack. Her hands seemed to be everywhere at once, invading all Daichii's tickle spots. The son's cheeks were red with effort and lack of air by the time he was finally released.

Daichii leaned against the sink. While he gasped for breath, he placed a hand over his heart and found it beating rapidly. "Geez, Mom!" he complained sukily. "I've had a long day! Did you HAVE to do that?"

Riku chuckled. "I just wanted to see my little baby smile again. He's been taking this family tradition thing too seriously."

"And stop calling me baby! I'm fourteen and old enough to rob several musuems in one night!"

"Huh, they grow up so fast," Riku mock pouted, as if Daichii had just sucked out all the fun of her favorite game. "What happened to the days when you always begged me to play with you and help me cook and wore those footed pajamas with the bunny ears and--!"

"MAMA!" Daichii's ears went red, and he was extremely grateful that no one was around. Wait. No one _was_ around, right? This wasn't going to come back and haunt him later as blackmail, would it? Daichii's eyes darted back and forth, checking to make sure that there were no hidden cameras.

"It's seems like just the other day, you and Ren would never leave me alone because you thought I was so cool and I made the best chocolate chip cookies. But then you got mad at Ren when she laughed at you, because you wanted to be just like me and had decided to wear my clothes for the day. You were so small and adorable back then!"

"Not listening!" Daichii shouted at the top of his lungs as he stomped out of the kitchen.

"I even had a dream about the good old days last night."

Daichii stopped in his tracks and whirled around. ". . . What?!"

Riku blinked in confusion. "_What_ what?"

"What kind of dream?" he insisted.

Riku tapped her chin thoughtfully, gazing into space. "You know, I can't really remember."

Daichii did an anime-style fall back.

"But I think it had to do with you and Ren . . . when you were younger that is." Riku did a half turn, reaching for the dirty dishes and momentarily forgetting that it was supposed to be Daichii washing them. "I vaguely remember something about a cupcake and two really muddy children with guilt written all over their faces."

". . ."

" . . . Daichii?" Riku called when he didn't respond right away. There was still no answer. The mother glanced over her shoulder and realized her son was no where to be found. "Sheesh. That boy! . . . . Wait. DAICHII! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WASHING THE PLATES FOR ME!!!"

Daichii ignored his mother for the moment as he slammed his bedroom door shut. He collasped in his computer chair and rested his chin in his hands. His face had hardened into fierce concentration, even though he still felt so sleepy.

_I knew it. This can't be normal. There is no way that at least four people could have strange dreams, _he told himself firmly. _Especially if they all have something to do with the past . . . to do with me._

Daichii squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his face. _What's the connection? _He breathed out in annoyance before mentally calling out, _Dark? You there?_

_Mmmm? Yeah. _Dark sounded a little confused at the sudden invitation to a conversation.

_Don't give me that. I know you've been listening. Have you sensed any unusual auras or bursts of magic lately?_

There was a slight pause. _Actually . . . I think I just felt something. It's been so faint that I haven't really noticed it._

Daichii jumped to his feet and pushed his chair out of the way. He turned off the lights and climbed up the ladder to his bed.

_Uh? Daichii? It's six in the afternoon._

_So._

_What are you do--?_

_Just shut up and let me go to bed. _Daichii slipped under the covers. He ignored the fact that he was still in his school clothes and that there was a lot of sunlight streaming in through his windows. All that mattered was how soft his pillow suddenly became.

_I'm going . . . to get to . . . the bottom of this . . . _Daichii's eyes blinked once, twice, and then couldn't be lifted the third time.

* * *

**PREVIEW**

"Hey! It's me, Daichii! Open UUUUPP!!!"

"I wonder what the first thing I said to her was?"

"Yo, Daichii! That must have been some dream last night. I can't believe you tranformed in your sleep! What did you do to the poor girl in your sick fantasy?!"

"Wait. Isn't that the mouthless orphan who moved here last week?"

"But--but! . . . she's psycho! You said so yourself!"

**THE START OF EVERYTHING**


	15. The Start of Everything

**A/N: **_wow. i haven't updated in FOREVER. sorry guys. it's my school, i swear! davidson has a way of sucking you into an alternate dimension and giving you no life. don't know if i really like this chapter, but hey. i had to start somewhere. please, please comment!_

* * *

**_The Next Generation_**

**_Chapter 15_**

**The Start of Everything**

All Daichii knew was that he had been walking for a long time. He was in a daze, as if he wasn't really in his shoes, moving past rows of unidentible houses. There was a faint but urgent tugging in the boy's heart, like there was something he needed to be looking for. The harder he tried to remember where he was supposed to be going, the hazier his head would feel. So, Daichii just stopped thinking completely. His body seemed to know where it was headed anyway. Sometimes, there were moments when logic only messed up the bigger picture.

The fiery leaves crunched under his feet, but the noise sounded distant. Kids with muted exclamations ran past Daichii as if he weren't really there. None of his surroundings were familiar. The wind was blowing softly, but constantly. Though it was definitely autumn, Daichii felt none of the ominous chill in the breeze's breath. The lack of freezing weather wasn't like the last time however. The sun wasn't completely out of control. It was a good, in between kind of atmosphere.

The boy stopped and slowly turned on his heels to the right. He had to stare at the house for a moment before recognition kicked in. Nonetheless, it was definitely a place that would be hard to forget. A smile crossed his lips while his eyes traced over the tidy home of the Mara's. Of course. Maybe Ren would know what Daichii was looking for and where he was supposed to be going. She was better at understanding complicated things.

Eagerly, Daichii started for the house. He froze when he noticed the things parked in front of the home. Police cars? What was wrong? Was someone hurt? In trouble? Daichii's mind whirled with the impossible task of trying to comprehend. Shaking his head to get rid of the confusion, he hurried up to the front door.

"Hello?" Daichii rapped his knuckles on the door once, twice, three times before beginning to get really annoyed. "It's me! Daichii!" he shouted. "Open UUUUUUPP!!!" His fists pounded and he jabbed his finger into the door bell. No one answered. Daichii scowled impatiently.

_But wait! I could always go through the back door, _Daichii remembered. _They always keep the key in the same place. _He jumped down the steps and raced to the backyard. He felt a little guilty that he was practically going to sneak in. _Dark's been clouding my mind with Phantom Thief thoughts, _he groaned inside.

Daichii easily climbed the fence and stumbled through well trimmed shrubs. Thorns snagged at his clothes, but it didn't take long to break free. He was just lucky that, even though it was fall, most of the floura in the Mara garden had not died yet. The colorful flowers and numerous bushes would make it easier to hide. The boy paused for a moment to brush himself off and was starting to head for the back porch when something caught his attention. Daichii stopped dead in his tracks. His mouth dropped open.

"R-R-Ren?" he spluttered.

* * *

For some reason or another, Dark felt really wrong. Not wrong as in perverted, (although some may say differently) but wrong as in _really _wrong. As in "bad feeling" wrong. As in the terrible churning in your stomach just before you puke, wrong. Well, maybe not that extreme, but Dark felt that wrong-feeling, anxiousness swimming in his gut and poking at his head persistantly until he finally opened his eyes. 

At first, Dark was completely confused and disoriented. _Where the heck am I? _he wondered, running a hand through his hair-- only to find that his hair was not a deep purple, but a pinkish-red. '_De heck?_ Dark's hands felt around his face, and he kicked the bed covers off. _Ah, _Dark replied, the realization dawning on him as soon as he saw his new, slightly punier body. _I transformed. But how? _Dark thought for a moment as he shook awake the lump of fur on his pillow. Suddenly, he grinned impishly. _Oh yeah. Last night. The dream of Ren. Got it. _

Dark jumped down from the bed and started rummaging through Daichii's desk, wanting to kill some time until they changed back. This, surprisingly, roused no comment from Daichii, not even when Dark leaved through some very, very personal items. After laughing his head off over a corny, unfinished poem from the fifth grade, Dark said, "Yo, Daichii. That must have been some dream last night. I can't believe you transformed in your sleep! What'd you do to the poor girl in your sick fantasy?"

Dark waited eagerly, but there was nothing. No determined denials or angry accusations. No response at all. Frowning, Dark couldn't help but feel a bit surprised at Daichii's silence. Wouldn't he be biting Dark's head off by now?

"Oh, Daichii," Dark gasped in mock disgust. "Don't tell me you did something so serious that you can't talk about it. I thought you and Ren were too young to be doing that kind of stuff. I never knew you were like that."

Dark braced himself for a storm of insults and cuss words, but it was in vain. He quickly shoved the poem back in the drawer as that wrong feeling washed over him again. _Daichii, this isn't funny anymore, _Dark called in annoyance. His eyes narrowed, and he snatched the picture of the younger, mud-covered Daichii and Ren. For countless minutes, he stared at the picture and imagined Ren's grace, but it didn't work. The love gene wasn't triggered, and that wrong feeling was still lingering inside.

_CRAP!!!!!!!_

Downstairs, Riku was pouring herself a cup of coffee and shuffling wearily through the kitchen. She forced herself to perk up and smile when she saw her son slide across the tiled floor. "Good morning, Daichii," she greeted cheerfully. She took a big gulp of her coffee and remarked, "You're up awfully early for a Satur--" Her words stuck in her throat when Riku finally caught the boy's grim expression.

"Riku," Dark said slowly. "We've got problems."

* * *

"Ren?" Daichii repeated again, his voice hoarse with shock. There was no doubt. That had to be Ren in front of him. But how could she have changed so fast? 

She was sitting on the back porch with her face in her heavily bandaged hands. Her legs were suddenly too short, and her tiny feet dangled limply off the edge. Actually, everything about her was suddenly short. Her arms. Her height. Her two pigtails. The only "long" thing about her was the enormous frown on her paler than normal face.

Ren had become a little child.

By some unknown signal, Ren slowly lifted her head. Because of her new-found youth, her eyes were large with childhood innocence. However, as Daichii looked closer, he noticed that the blue depths lacked luster and life. These weren't the mesmerizing eyes that always sent his heart into whirling pleasure and turmoil. They had faded with Ren's age, turning dull and empty. Daichii shuddered slightly when her dead gaze passed right through him. A fleeting, gut-feeling told him that he had unexplainably turned invisible. Why else would Ren be so expressionless towards his appearance? Daichii refused to believe thst it was because she no longer had any desire to hold emotions anymore.

"Ren . . . what happened to you?" he breathed. Her expression reminded him of a shadowy memory from the grave long forgotten, or a dusty, abandoned house that was slowly collasping upon itself. Horror and denial welled up in the boy's throat, threatening to choke him. The mini Ren was sitting only two yards away from him, but to Daichii, it was as if his friend had left a long time ago.

As the shock wore off, Daichii finally heard the noises coming from inside. There was some kind of heated argument going on, one that made Ren slump further and further the more she listened. With the back door shut, it was impossible to make out anything more than faint, angry voices on the wind.

". . . just a child!"

". . .can't afford with . . ."

"Just give her some time. We'll . . ."

"--Godsake! There's a murderer on the . . ."

"A change of scenery isn't going . . . must talk soon! . . . Do you hear m--?"

Without warning, Ren dropped to her side. Curling up in a ball, she clapped her hands to her ears and opened her mouth in a soundless sob. "Ren!" Daichii exclaimed, springing forward immediately. He reached out to comfort her, but something hard collided sharply against the back of his head before he could do anything. Daichii fell to his knees. Clutching his throbbing head, he shamelessly spat out cuss words that would have earned him an instant slap--if he had been heard. A baseball rolled away from him and rested by Ren's feet. It had barely tapped against her shoes, but the little girl jerked up as if she had almost been mauled by a speeding car. Ren spotted the ball mutely, and for a moment, Daichii almost thought he saw some sort of emotion resurrect in her dead eyes. Curiousity?

Warily, and hesitating every few seconds, Ren reached out for the dirty, worn baseball. She cupped it in her hands like something precious, something sent from the heavens. Daichii watched in amazement as she began to play with it, tossing it from hand to hand. Her movements were careful and jerky, and Daichii wondered if even Ren was surprised at the fact that she was trying to have some sort of fun. Her small mouth stubbornly remained in a frown, but her eyes would glimmer every now and then as they followed the path of the ball.

Daichii was just thinking about how he had never seen something so pathetic when a double grunt seized his attention. The hairs on the back of his neck rose, and he whirled around in alarm. His arms flopped to his sides almost immediately. The "intruders" were nothing more than two kids, no older than eight. Their attempt to look cool and climb the fence had sent them tumbling to a heap on the ground in the bush of azaleas. Daichii's mouth twitched upward in a smile while they tried to free themselves from the branches.

Misson Accomplished: one of the boys managed to crawl out of the bush. He brushed the flower petals off his shoulders and stood up. He had short, short brown hair and big green eyes, which were currently narrowed in annoyance. Daichii snickered at the vain way the boy lifted his chin, acting as if their dramatic entrance had never happened.

"Daichii, hurry up!" the first boy complained.

Daichii's eyes widened in surprise as the second boy scrambled to his feet. He had a shallow cut on his cheek and leaves were sticking out of his hair, but Daichii could recognize him immediately. It was himself.

The Mini Daichii whimpered as he struggled to get the leaves and petals out of his hair. "I told you this was a bad idea, Haru," he said, touching his "battle scar" gingerly. "How are we supposed to find the ball? It's like a jungle in here!"

Daichii stared at Mini Haru. Could that really be his friend? He stared and stared and stared . . . before starting to laugh. Of course! When they were little, Haru's hair had been much shorter, because he had gotten lice the summer after first grade. The closely shaven head didn't exactly flatter his friend's appearance right now.

Mini Haru stuck out his bottom lip defiately. "Well, we made it in. We're getting the ball. I'm not going to lose another one. Besides, you were the one who through it over the fence."

"Did not!

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did n-- Wait!" Mini Daichii froze and put a finger to his lips, a signal to be quiet. Mini Haru glared at his friend until Mini Daichii pointed somewhere over his shoulder. Haru glanced around wildly until his emerald eyes came to rest on Ren.

Mini Ren had not heard any of the boys' misadventures. She hadn't even noticed them. Her attention was strictly spent on the baseball as it rose higher and higher every time she threw it. _Am I just imagining things, _Daichii wondered, _or is that the beginnings of a smile on her face? _It was a lonely game for one, but it was a game nonetheless, something her childish body had been lacking for quite some time.

The boys seemed to realize that she hadn't noticed them, and they visibly relaxed. They slowly shifted a little closer to the bushes before daring to speak, their voices the smallest whisper. "Who is that?"

"Don't know. Never seen her before."

"Wait. Is that the mouthless orphan that just moved here?"

". . . mouthless?"

"Yeah, yeah! Big Sister told me all about it. There's this girl who was so bad that her parents abandoned her. Once her house rules had gone, she went completely crazy, stealing and pickpocketing to get whatever she wanted. The police eventually caught up with her criminal acts, but she annoyed them so bad that they just put her in jail. She still had a bad attitude, and one day she messed with the wrong person. A fellow inmate cut out her mouth in order to get revenge and shut her mouth. To this day, the mouthless orphan still can't speak."

"Whoa . . . but she looks so . . . innocent?"

"Nah, it's obviously a trick. Remember the police cars in front of the house? She must still be causing trouble."

"Mmmm . . . ah! But wait! If she's such a crimminal, doesn't that mean she might steal your ball too?"

"Aww, man! I didn't think of that! Come on!"

"Wait, what?!?"

"We got to get my ball back!"

"But--but . . . she's psycho! You said so yourself!!"

"I'm not losing my ball again. Actually . . ." there was a slight pause. "_You_ threw it over the fence, so _you_ have to go get it."

"WHAT!?!"

"Don't just sit there like a baby! Go get it!"

Mini Haru kicked the Mini Daichii out of the bush. Wide-eyed, Mini Daichii scrambled in a circle for a moment, trying to find someplace to hide. Then he saw Mini Haru's glare. Mini Daichii took a deep breath, clenched his tiny fists, and marched-- yes, _marched_-- over to the Mara's back porch where Mini Ren was still playing in the soft sunlight.

Daichii watched his younger clone storm over to his "great challenge," trying hard to control the wide grin that was taking over his face. He shifted his weight and folded his arms. _Well, well. This must be a dream of the first time I met Ren, _Daichii thought with a laugh. _Funny, though. I don't really remember this. I wonder what the first thing I said to her was?_

Daichii observed eagerly, as if watching his favorite show. Mini Daichii, apparently getting his moves from kid ninja movies, was rolling and shifting to each bush or tree in the wide garden, slowly making his way to Ren. When just a few bushes lied in between the two kids, Mini Daichii paused, as if fiddling with something. The real Daichii figured that the boy was just gathering up his courage, but before he knew it, Mini Daichii had leaped on the steps and was brandishing a tapering limb like some sort of sword.

"Give back the ball! It's not yours!" Mini Daichii demanded in a childish tone.

The ball stopped and rested in gentle baby fingers. Curious and slightly confused, Ren's head casually turned towards the stranger. She cocked her head cutely, her big blue eyes flickering with question.

The Mini Daichii grimaced, starting to feel unsure. "Don't fall for her tricks, Daichii!" Mini Haru shouted from a distance.

Mini Daichii shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "I said give it _back, _you stealing cheater!" he exclaimed loudly.

Police sirens began to wail, and Ren flinched all over. She jumped to her feet in alarm when someone shouted something inside the house. Startled, Mini Daichii jumped as well and swung the branch around.

Daichii's mouth hung open at the noise of a startled squeal of pain. Ren clutched her hands tightly, bitting her lip. In the silence that followed, the soft thud of a ball bouncing against the ground sounded like a dying heartbeat--quick at first, but slowing down and getting softer until it excepts the cruel fate of its death.

_No, _Daichii thought in shock.

* * *

In another existance, there was a different kind of heartbeat playing. The faint ticking of a clock in a tomb-like silence. It was persistant and continuous, fighting in vain against the suffocating blanket that had been thrown on the room. None of the lights were on. The only light came from a window whose blinds were half shut. The thin beams of light were too weak to push away the melancholy tones of the emptiness. In the long shadows and the heart-beat ticking, Riku sat on the couch with her head in her hands. 

"How long has he been gone?" she asked again. Her voice cracked slightly, as if it hadn't been used for a while.

Dark shifted his weight and folded his arms grimly. "I'm not even sure I know _how_ he left. This sort of thing doesn't happen often--" He broke off as he noticed Riku stiffen. His face softened sympathetically for the devestated mother. "Sometime in the night is all I know, so he hasn't been gone long. I'll take With into town with me, and we can scout around for some sort of magical source. If it had enough strength to steal a human soul, then it shouldn't be too hard to find." Dark sighed and rubbed his face, suddenly extremely tired. "I'm just surprised that I hadn't recognized it sooner."

"Do you have any idea what artwork it might be?" Riku asked without removing her face from her hands.

Dark started to shake his head, but then realized that she wouldn't be able to see it. "No. It's completely new, just like the Sunny Day picture. This can't be a coincidence. Two brand new works of the Hikari in such a sort time. There must be one of their kin somewhere, and they must know I'm back. Who knows? Krad might be involved too."

Riku drew in her breath sharply. She knew what Krad could be like. She had felt his power coarsing through her, strangling her. Her fists clenched as she struggled to keep control. First Daisuke. Now her son. Riku was really beginning to hate the cursed Niwa gene.

Dark watched her helplessly for a moment before turning for the stairs. "I'm going to go tell Daisuke."

"NO!"

The sudden gasp sounded loud in the stillness. Dark glanced back at Riku curiously. "Why?"

Riku herself looked a little startled at her reaction as she lowered her hands. Then her eyes flashed with resolve. "I don't want anyone to find out about this. It will cause unnecessary worry and attention. Plus--" Riku broke eye contact uncomfortably. "--Daisuke's already so stressed with Daichii's transformation. He's always worrying that Daichii might get in trouble since he never had any real training. Plus, there's always the question about why Daichii _did_ become the Phantom Thief . . ."

"Don't worry, Riku. I'll search all day if I have to."

"Thank you, Dark. I--" Riku's eyes widened. With a long groan, she slapped a hand to her forehead and collapsed on the sofa.

"What now?"

"Dark," Riku moaned. "Daichii has a date with Ren today!"

* * *

**PREVIEW**

"I know I'm wrong. But if something _does _happen . . . at least I have someone to support me."

"There is something wrong with her heart, Niwa. She has gone through things no seven year old should have to go through."

"How can it be so easy and natural to be with someone when that same certain someone makes you feel so nervous and jittery?"

"But if you'd rather take my punishments instead . . . I want you to come by this house every other day at four o' clock. Each day you will stay for an hour. For tresspassing on my property, you will do small chores. For hurting Ren, you will--"

"Do we have a deal?"

**DEAL OR NO DEAL**


	16. Deal or No Deal

**A/N: **_wow. how long has it been since my last post? i bet you guys thought i had vanished or something! unfortunately, i have bad news. I'm going to be gone on vacation for the rest of june. sorry! so this is going to be the last chapter for a while again. i hate to do that to you guys, but i do have a life. a pretty crappy life, but a life all the same. _

**Disclaimer:** I've never owned or pwned DNAngel. That's just the way it's gotta be.

**_The Next Generation_**

**_Chapter 16_**

**Deal or no Deal**

"Wait. What?" Dark replied.

"Well, I say 'date,' but really Ren just wanted someone to go with her downtown. Aparrently there was some big art contest held to celebrate the opening of a new art museum. The entries are being judged today," Riku explained.

"Hmm. I don't remember Daichii mentioning anything like that," Dark said, frowning.

"Ren only called yesterday, right when Daichii went to bed early. I told her he was sleeping for some reason, but I didn't think he was sick, so he could definitely go." Riku sighed. "Now I wish I had said he seemed sick. It wouldn't be like Daichii to make a promise and then break it, especially when it's about Ren. It would hurt her feelings, and I feel like Daichii's already been going through some rocky times with her lately."

"How do you know about that?"

Riku managed a half smile and put a finger to her lips. "That's a secret. A mother has to have special access to information about her child, you know." She paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "I think Ren also said something about another guy coming. I can't remember the name. I don't ever remember hearing it come up in one of Daichii's conversations."

_Takahashi, _Dark mused. _Great. I'm sure Daichii would have loved that. At least I get to finally meet Ren face to face. _The corners of his mouth twitched upwards into the beginnings of a sly smile. _This is bound to be interesting. _

"All right, Riku," the Phantom Thief sighed, as if he were making a great sacrafice. "Though it means putting off my long and vital search of the town, I will make sure to put this 'date' in top priority. After all, I wouldn't want to jepordize Daichii's chance at his Holy Maiden. I might have to stay up all night afterward, but if it's for my good buddy, Daichii, then it's fine with me." Dark paused in his dramatic babbling and abruptly started heading for the door. All too eagerly, Dark exclaimed over his shoulder, "Right then. See you later!"

"And Dark!"

Dark froze in the doorway. He peered back towards the hallway, his face half-hidden behind the door. Riku was standing there, looking tired and worried. Without warning, her face darkened in a menacing threat that almost scared Dark. "DON'T . . . SCREW . . . AROUND," she warned all-too-knowingly.

_Crap. She saw right through me. _Dark laughed feebly. "Now now, Riku. What makes you think I would do anything so dirty? You have my word."

"I mean it, Dark!" Riku shouted as he hurried out of the house and slammed the door.

* * *

The world was spinning, and everything started to warp together. Daichii watched in disbelief as the edges of reality blurred into nothing more than meaningless colors. It reminded him of a certain abstract painting made by splashing and slopping things together, only the painting never whirled around you until you were so dizzy that you couldn't tell which way was up or down, and you couldn't even be sure if you were even standing on something, because everything had become nothing, and nothing had become such a confused jumble that it didn't make sense anymore. And it wasn't just the sights. Sounds, smells, feelings of a thousand places--or a thousand memories--all being experienced at once in a multitude of agonizing movement. _I'm gonna explode! _Daichii gasped mentally. Feeling sick and achy, Daichii tried to block off his senses by curling in a ball, screwing his eyes shut, and clamping his hands to his ears. It was useless. He could still feel the world moving underneath him, could still feel voices and iridecessant lights stabbing at his head. _Forget that! I'm going to throw-up, and __**then**__ I'm going to explode--in tiny, little puke-covered pieces of me._

So great was the confusion, that when the darkness finally collapsed like a sudden _snap! _Daichii felt it hit him like a powerful wave. Daichii moaned once, relishing the smooth, cool feel against the side of his face. It was soothing, and when his stomach finally settled, Daichii opened one eye. Somehow, he had fallen to his side and was lying on . . . what exactly? It looked like it was just a dark abyss, but Daichii could clearly feel the cold surface underneath him. Daichii opened the other eye and blinked. As soon as he did, the colors returned, but they were softer this time, timidly fading back into existance as if they were ashamed of their behavior.

Daichii was lying on a cool, linoneum floor. Right in front of his nose were two bowls, one of water, one filled with incredibly unedible-looking pellets of food. Stiffly, Daichii propped himself on his elbow and looked around. He was in a kitchen of some kind, with gleaming countertops and a sunny wallpaper. Daichii stared dumbly at all the household appliances, not really knowing what to make of it.

With the feeling of a sigh being released after being held for so long, the sound returned as well, though at first there wasn't much of it. The consistant ticking of the clock hanging over the microwave. The faint rumble of the washing machine. While Daichii stared, the noise of claws tapping against the floor came closer. The boy jumped slightly when a small dog, a Nippon terrier trotted purposefully to the twin bowls. Daichii's jaw dropped open. He recognized the short, white fur, the two black splotches over the eyes, and the faint, black speckles sprinkled on the back. The dead giveaway was the spiked collar it wore, a joke compared to its otherwise cuddly appearance. It had been so long ago, but it could only be--

"Jun!" Daichii cried happily.

Jun, the Mara's pet, who had lived with them when Daichii and Ren were still little. She had always been so bouncy and energetic, and then suddenly, would curl up in your lap and snooze immediately. The boy smiled as he remembered the dog's noisy personality when it always tried to be in the center of things. It had died when Daichii and Ren were ten. Daichii could still remember the cloudy day when they buried Jun. Ren had cried. The twins had locked themselves in their rooms for days.

"Jun! Come here, girl!" Daichii called, sitting up and patting his hands against his thighs. Jun didn't respond. Her ears didn't even twitch. _I guess I'm still in my dream, _Daichii reasoned. _Then this means . . . _Daichii took another look at the kitchen. The wallpaper and window curtains were different, but Daichii was finally beginning to recognize the place. There was that familiar nick in the counter, and the beat up toaster that hadn't worked since the twins had tried to launch it to the moon. _I'm still at the Mara's. Only, this was what it looked like a long time ago . . . shortly after Mrs. Mara died._

Daichii reached to pet Jun, decided against it, and then wandered aimlessly through the house, not really knowing what he was looking for. While he trudged through the hallways, he heard a voice. It was slow, stern, and heavy. _Mr. Mara? Is he scolding the twins for something?_ Curious, Daichii slipped through the door on his left--which had been convinently left ajar-- and glanced around. Mr. Mara was standing with his arms folded, gazing down disappointedly at the sofa. At first, Daichii thought he was mad at the sofa for some reason, like there was some sort of stain, but when he crept closer, he realized a kid was sitting on the sofa. It was Mini Daichii, his head bowed and his back slumped over as he listened to Mr. Mara.

"Really. Do you have any idea of what you've done?" Mr. Mara demanded angrily in the soft tone that was normally a lot scarier than outright shouting.

* * *

It was a bright, cloudless morning. The sky was a crisp blue, and only seemed bluer thanks to the cold weather. Kids were laughing and running down the streets, crying out in wonder when they could see the frozen puffs of their breath. A late migrating bird twittered endlessly, calling out to its friends that were leaving it behind. Very faintly, almost drowned out by the noise of the jittery bird and the crashes of the twins latest plot, there was the sound of a police car, its sirens whirring in the distance. Hearing this, Ren tugged absently at her too-big sweater.

_These dreams I keep having. What do they mean? _

Ren frowned, and gave the porch swing she was sitting in a little push. While it swung leisurely back and forth, Ren pulled up her legs and hugged her knees to her chest to keep warm. Normally, she wouldn't really consider sitting outside on an early-winter morning in nothing but pajama bottoms and Mara's sweater, but today was different. The frigid caress of the breeze sharpened her mind, and it helped keep the latest dream from slipping away in the depths of Ren's mind--forgotten.

_They're so real, like I've seen them before. Deja vu? No, it's backwards. _Ren closed her eyes. _I swear that every single one is a memory, but is it natural for your dreams to be windows to your past night after night after night?_

_It's said that all dreams are based off of your past and your emotions, _the other voice said, matter-of-factly.

_Yeah, but they aren't supposed to be _this_ perfect!_ Ren sighed, and she listened as glass wind chimes danced in the wind. The blissful melody was interrupted by another wailing siren, closer this time. Ren immediately clapped her hands over her ears, like a little child. _I don't want to remember stuff like this! _she gasped, gritting her teeth.

_. . . Daichii never did call back . . . _

The voice was quiet for once, which rather shocked Ren. But she still could taste a slight edge to it, one that she figured the voice would always posess. Distracted by it's sudden change of topic, Ren relaxed her tensed body, and her hands slowly dropped from her ears. _Yeah, _Ren admitted gloomily. She gave the porch swing another push. _But Ni-- Daichii's mom-- _Ren refused to use Daichii's last name now--_ said that he would still be able to come. So . . . hopefully . . . _

Ren knew that she had been avoiding Daichii. She also knew that she was being childish. It was like she had told that voice before. Daichii was a Niwa-- Ren winced a little when she thought of that name-- but he wasn't_ the _Niwa. Daichii wasn't the Niwa who turned into Dark, right? Ren had to get her mind straight and her suspicions removed. Today would be the perfect day. Not only was there the big art contest, but the new art museum was holding tons of other activities to celebrate its grand opening. During the festivities, Ren would have a good long talk with Daichii, and she would apologize for acting cold, and he would assure her that she had gotten it all wrong, and Ren could get on with her life.

_And if you aren't wrong? _the other voice tested.

_I am wrong._

_But if you aren't . . ._

_If I'm . . . not . . ._

Ren's head flew up at the roar of an approaching vehicle. An old truck with peeling red paint and a faint white stripe running down its middle pulled into the driveway. Ren jumped to her feet, and could not help but smile in spite of herself. As her heart raced with excitement, she gave a little wave. _I am wrong, _Ren reassured herself. _But if something does happen, I'll have someone there to support me. _

The passenger door flew open before the truck had come to a complete stop. A pair of dirty black vans touched down on the ground gracefully.

"Ronin," Ren said softly.

* * *

"I said, do you even understand what you've just done?"

Mini Daichii didn't answer. He shook his head mutely.

"That girl has an emotional problem."

That gained a little bit of a response out of the kid. His hand twitched, and he stammered in bemusement, "E-emotional . . . ?"

"There is something wrong with her heart, Niwa. She's gone through things no seven-year-old should have to go through." Mr. Mara's gaze intensified. "Did you know that her parents were killed, she was abused by that murderer until she nearly died herself, and then she was forcibly taken far away from her home town to be placed in an orphanage?"

Again, just a shake of the head.

"Do you know that she may never be able to recover after such trauma?"

Shake, shake.

"And then, while the police come over here daily to remind her about all of her wretched memories and people gossip about some 'trouble-child', you show up and threaten her?"

Mini Daichii's hands clenched into small fists.

"Place yourself in her shoes, Niwa. If you went through all of that, and then suddenly a kid came up to you and demanded something, wouldn't that seem a hundred times more terrifying than normal?"

"But I thought--!" Mini Daichii began desperately. "--my ball--!"

"No buts," Mr. Mara interrupted. "Would it terrify you?"

The little boy averted his gaze. Out of habit, he began to shake his head, stopped, and nodded instead.

"I'm glad we're on the same page then." Mr. Mara's expression was grim. "I have half a mind to call your parents to inform them about these incidents--"

Mini Daichii's head flew up, his eyes wide and fearful.

"--but if you'd rather take my punishments instead, then they don't have to hear a single word about this."

Mr. Mara paused to watch Mini Daichii's expression. The boy was very still, but his eyes betrayed a little bit of hope. Mr. Mara cleared his throat and turned his back so that he could stare into the embers in the fireplace. The silence lingered, and Mini Daichii fidgeted impatiently.

"I want you to come by this house every other day at four o' clock. You will stay for an hour. For tresspassing on my property, you will do chores--tiny chores, but chores nonetheless. And for scaring Ren . . . you are to become her playmate."

"But she's a trouble-maker!" Mini Daichii jumped up and blurted out without thinking.

Mr. Mara glanced over his shoulder and smiled sadly. "So even the little kids have been hearing the rumors and gossip." He sighed, and he kneeled in front of Mini Daichii. He placed his hands on the kid's shoulders firmly and forced Mini Daichii to look him in the eyes. "Did she really look like some sort of criminal to you?"

Mini Daichii hesitated before admitting sheepishly, "No."

"So do we have a deal?"

Mr. Mara held out his hand. Mini Daichii scowled at it before reluctantly shaking it.

Meanwhile, the _real_ Daichii had slipped out of the room, trying to get as far away from the room as possible. _What happened?!_ Daichii thought in horror. _These are my memories, but . . . did it really happen like this?! Why can't I remember?!_

* * *

Ronin slammed the car door shut and faced the front of the house.

"Hello . . . Ronin," Ren breathed, but she spoke too softly to be heard.

Ronin's eyes met hers, and they seemed astonished for a moment. "Ren!" The surprise quickly faded away. Ronin flashed her a crooked smirk, and his mysterious eyes gleamed. He shook his head in mock disappointment and replied, "Why the heck are you still in your pajamas?"

Ren realized with an embarrassed jolt that her hand was still waving idiotically. Flushing heavily, Ren hopped down from the porch and hurried over. The dewy grass was cold to her barefeet, but the girl hardly noticed. Ren was too busy wondering why a guy's mysterious aura would always intimitate her before. It was so-- Ren almost died to hear herself admit something like this-- sexy. The mystery and cool instantly disappeared when Ronin closed the gap between them with two big steps and locked Ren in a tight embrace. Ren gasped out in pleasure and half-hearted disapproval when Ronin twirled her around in a circle. When he finally let go, he was smirking that dark, cryptic smirk again that made Ren giggle senselessly.

_What am I doing?! _Ren thought in near-horror. _I'm not acting like myself at all! _But a better question might have been, _How can it be so natural and easy to be around someone, and yet still make you feel nervous at the same time?! _For Ren's heart was still racing, but she began to suspect that she liked the feeling. Her heart had been stuck in a dull, slow metronome for so long that the sudden "heart attacks" were probably something healthy for Ren.

"Hello," Ren repeated, growing more embarrassed and shy by the minute.

"I overslept this morning, so I was in a rush to get ready." Ronin gently--but rather shamelessly-- tugged at her pajama bottoms. "I wouldn't have had to hurry so badly if I had known I could just walk out wearing whatever I wanted."

It was then that Ren noticed something in the corner of Ronin's smirk. Ronin wasn't just mysterious. There was an sense of danger and wildness about him too. Ren's heart gave another little spasm.

"S-sorry," Ren mumbled, trying to recover. Almost helplessly, she sucked in her breath to calm herself down. "You didn't . . . have to do . . . this." Ren gestured towards the truck, where Ronin's uncle was waiting behind the wheel.

"Aww, everything's fine. Besides--" Ronin narrowed his eyes slyly. "How else would you get your art piece to the museum?"

Ren slumped over dramatically, making Ronin laugh. "Like I said, everything's fine. You just owe me." Ronin held out his hand. There was something in his expression that seemed suspicious. "Let's say, maybe you'll do my algebra homework for the rest of the year? Deal?"

Ren's head snapped up in fierce denial and indignition. Ronin just continued to laugh, and he dropped his hand. "Yeah, yeah. No deal. I should have guessed. I hate algebra too." Ronin waved a hand in front of his face, and he was instantly serious. He grabbed Ren by the shoulders, spun her around, and guided her back to the house. "So before you go to finish getting ready for your big day," Ronin whispered in the girl's ear, almost seductively, "why don't you show me where your greatest work of art is? I'm _dying_ to see it."

Ren swallowed hard to stifle the nervous squeak that threatened to escape her throat. Not trusting her mouth enough to speak, Ren nodded enthusiastically and led Ronin inside.

* * *

**PREVIEW**

"And I don't care what Mr. Mara says. Don't expect me to play with you or anything."

"GAHHH!! HEY! What was that for!? You wanna start someth--?"

"So I hear that there's a New Year's festival held here every year . . ."

"I would die if I had to spend three seconds with that psycho!"

"Takahashi's . . . so kind . . . Takahashi, Ronin . . . and Daichii . . . are all so . . . kind."

**KINDNESS COMES IN ALL FORMS**


End file.
